Flat Screen Saga
by Andra-ggfan
Summary: Luke made Lorelai give away her flat screen TV. He came to get it, she came to visit, now they're dating. And now the campaign is finally over and they're moving in together. Exciting times but what comes next? Post finale Literati
1. Abandoned TV, looking for a home

**A new story after a long time. It will probably be 3 or 4 chapters long(but I might change my mind) and, as the summary says, it's Literati(because I missed writing them). Post finale, set in the beginning of October. I hope you like it. Reviews make me feel happy and welcomed back :D.  
**

**Abandoned TV, looking for a home **

"Sookie, I have a special offer just for you." Lorelai chimes as she enters the Dragonfly's kitchen. "A flat screen TV, complete with gadgets, all for he low, low price of nothing!"

Sookie looks up from the chopping block, putting away her knife.

"You're giving away your TV?"

"Yes."

"But why? You love that thing."

"Luke is making me do it."

"What? Why?"

"Because Chris bought it and set it up and apparently we can't have anything to do with Chris in the house after we the wedding. He's an inch away from making me put Rory up for adoption."

"Really? But he liked Rory."

"No, Sookie, that was a joke. But the flat screen thing isn't. So, what do you say? Are you interested in giving it a loving home?"

"Sorry, sweetie, but we already have one. What would we do with another?"

"I don't know…put it in Davey's room?"

"Because every 4 year old needs a giant TV."

"Yeah, it seemed stupid after I said it. Eh, never mind, I'm sure I'll find it a home. After all, how hard can it be?"

"That's the spirit! Now do you want some coffee?"

…Later that night…

"No one!" Lorelai sighed as she sat on the couch next to Luke, staring at the offending piece of technology.

"You're serious?"

"Yes. No one in this town needs a new TV. Both Sookie and Michel have one, Miss Patty doesn't watch TV, Babette doesn't have enough room in her house, Kirk is scared of big TVs, Taylor said something about not trying to bribe him, Rory still has the one mom bought her when she first started college and I can't find it a place at the inn! It's useless. How did you do?"

"Jess doesn't want it, April doesn't have time for TV and Liz is worried that TJ would never do anything around the house if he had one."

"So, close, but no cookie?"

"Exactly."

"Does it really have to go? Look how pretty and shiny it is!" She points to the TV, smiling at her fiancé.

"Yes."

"Fine. But you have to find it a place. I've tried every thing I could think of."

"Fine."

"Ok…now that that's taken care of, is dinner ready? I didn't eat at the inn."

"20 minutes."

"Ugh…"

"I'll go check."

"Can you speed up the process?"

"What do you want me to do? Do a little dance around the stove?"

"You have to be naked for magic rituals to succeed. Or wear a coconut bra."

"It will be 20 minutes."

"Well, it better be worth the wait."

"It will be." Luke gives her a small peck on the lips then goes to the kitchen. 10 minutes late Lorelai gets up and walks to the kitchen as well, finding him talking on the phone and stirring in one of the pots.

"So, Saturday then? Around what time?"

She mouths _"Who?" _while pointing at the phone but he lets the spoon in the pot and motions for her to be quiet.

"Ok, see you then. Bye."

Luke puts down the phone and picks the spoon up again, turning the heat up on the stove with his other hand.

"I found someone to take the thing."

"Really? Who?"

"Jess."

"But didn't you just say that…"

"Apparently his roommates called him a moron for refusing it."

"Ok…so he's coming here?"

"Yes. That's ok, right?"

"Sure. It's your house too, he's your nephew, he's allowed to drink now so there won't be a problem if he steals beer from the fridge."

"Lorelai…" He turns off the stove and steps closer to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yeah, I know, I know, he's changed, blah-blah…"

"He really has."

"I'll believe when I see it."

"And you'll see it Saturday."

"You still have to get me a new one before you're allowed to take it out of the house."

"A new what?"

"A new TV!"

"I already took care of that."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Great…now let's eat."

…Even later that night…

They're lying in bed, Lorelai's head resting on Luke's chest while he's playing with a strand of her hair.

"Lorelai…is everything ok?"

"Sure…why do you ask?"

"You just seemed a little off tonight."

"I had a busy day…and I miss Rory. She hasn't been home in forever."

"Just 4 months."

"4 months, one week and 3 days."

"She'll be home for the wedding."

"But that's still 2 months away."

"They'll fly by."

"Yeah…I know. I still miss her and her birthday coming up isn't making things easier. By the way, have you asked Jess to be your best man? I know it's not going to be a huge thing but he still needs time for the tux alteration, learn to walk in a straight line, not smirk through the entire ceremony."

"I figured I'd ask him when he comes."

"Ok." She yawns and moves on her own pillow. "Good night, babe."

"Night."

…Saturday afternoon…

Lorelai is sitting on the couch, sipping from a cup of coffee, with Paul Anka's head on her lap, watching the two men struggling to take down the huge TV from the wall. They had been trying for one hour and they were still far, far away from ever finishing the job. Of course, the fact that the dog had ran around them for the first half hour might not have helped but he had been quiet for a while now and they still weren't making progress. She was about to walk to the kitchen and get another cup of coffee-this was better then watching _"Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"_- when she heard the front door opened.

"Surprise!" A voice from the door calls.

Lorelai jumps from the couch, followed by Paul Anka, and rushes to the door, finding her daughter standing in front of it, a bag at her feet. She yelps "Rory!" before pulling the girl in a hug, while the younger man in the other room freezes, looking around for a quick way out.


	2. Geena Davis at the Oscars

**Geena Davis at the Oscars**

_Lorelai jumped from the couch, followed by Paul Anka, and rushed to the door, finding her daughter standing in front of it, a bag at her feet. She yelped "Rory!" before pulling the girl in a hug, while the younger man in the other room froze, looking around for a quick way out._

"What are you doing home? Is something wrong? Why didn't you call? I missed you and I'm never letting you leave again!" Lorelai said in rapid fire, not loosening her embrace.

"Nothing's wrong, I just had some time off and decided to come by."

"Why didn't you call?"

"Because the whole point of a surprise is to be, you know, surprising."

As soon as she finished her sentence Luke appeared from the living room, holding a screwdriver in his hand.

"Hey, Rory."

Rory let go of her mother and gave Luke a quick hug.

"Hey. So…can I come in or are you just going to leave me standing here?"

"Sure, but, hon, uh…" Lorelai started saying while Rory took the few steps until she reached the living room, where she stopped in her tracks when she saw the young man standing awkwardly and looking at her. She managed to whisper, "Jess…" before her mother could continue her sentence "Jess is here!"

Jess took a step forward and smiled softly at her. "Hi."

She waved at him the turned around and looked at her mother who was just walking in behind her, followed by Luke. "Of all the gin joints, huh?" Lorelai quipped before putting her hands on Rory's shoulders and directing her towards the kitchen "Now let's leave the boys to work while we have some coffee, ok?". Rory just nodded and they went into the kitchen, leaving the guys alone. Once they got there Lorelai pulled two cups out of the cupboard and filled the coffee machine with water, waiting for the coffee to be done, while Rory was looking at her.

"So you want to tell me what's Jess doing here?" Rory whispered for only Lorelai to hear.

"He's come to get the TV." Lorelai responded, using the same tone.

"Why?"

"Long story, I'll explain later. Is it ok that he's here?"

"Yeah, sure, why wouldn't it be? I was just surprised, that's all."

"I was just asking…so have you seen him since…?"

"Since Philadelphia? No."

"Have you talked at all?"

"No."

"Ok." Lorelai filled the cups and then said, loud enough to be heard in the other room "So, how's life on the road? Tell me everything!"

"Yes, because after at least 3 emails a day there is so much left to tell. How are the wedding plans going?"

"I want to build a bonfire and Luke's not letting me."

"Smart man. Now why do you want a bonfire?" Rory said while she filled the two cups and then headed for the table, sitting down.

"To keep us warm. And when my mother drives me crazy, which is bound to happen, I can just push her in." Lorelai replied as she sat down on one of the other chairs.

"I am not bailing you out on your wedding night, just so you know."

"Ungrateful child! For this I will add two more bows to your dress."

"Speaking of my dress, when can I see it?"

"It's a surprise."

"You're hiding it from me."

"No." Lorelai drew out the word, a playful smile on her face.

"God, does it have a butt-bow?"

"Well, now, honey, what kind of a mother and bride-to-be would I be if it didn't have a butt-bow?" Lorelai grinned, sipping her coffee.

"A nice and loving one?"

"Fat chance!"

"At least tell me it doesn't have a hoop-skirt."

"Oh, no, no, a hoop skirt wouldn't match my Geena Davis at the Oscars wedding dress."

"Ok, now I know you're kidding." Rory paused and looked at her mother who still had the same devious smile on her face. "Right?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out."

"God help me."

The girls continued to chat for a while, drinking their coffees. Half an hour later, Luke walked in the room, followed by Jess.

"Done."

Lorelai looked up at her fiancé.

"Done, done? You weren't even close when I left."

"It seems we can get a lot more done if someone isn't commenting from the couch."

"I resent that!" She looked away from him and to Jess, who was standing behind him, staring at his shoes. "So, Jess do you want something to eat? I'm not feeding your uncle, he's being mean again."

Jess looked up and shook his head.

"Nope…I think I'll just go."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Luke told Liz that I'm coming in town and she asked me to go to her house for lunch."

"Meet your half-sister?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Ok, have fun then."

Luke looked at his watch then said "I think I'll go, too, I have to be back at the diner."

"Leaving us all alone? How ever will we deal?" Lorelai replied in an exaggerated Southern accent.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way."

"Just for this I'm not feeding you tonight either."

"I think I'll live. Bye."

"Bye."

Rory muttered a quick goodbye as well, looking intensely at the cup in her hand and the men left, leaving the girls alone again. Once they were out of the house Lorelai looked back at her daughter.

"Not very talkative today."

"I…uh…it's just weird, you know?"

"What is?"

"Jess back in this house. You being nice to him."

"That's the only reason it's weird?"

"Yes…why?"

"Just asking. You better make it not-weird fast, 'cause you'll have to spend a lot of time in the same room at the wedding."

"I'll work on that."

…Later that evening…

After her mother had fallen asleep she got out of the house and walked slowly through the quiet town. Being back there was waking up many memories, as was seeing Jess. Soon, she found herself at the old wooden bridge, without even noticing that she was heading that way, and saw him sitting there.

"Hey, Jess."

**I'm sorry it took me this long to get this chapter up but work has been crazy. Also, my 3 or 4 chapters are starting to look like they may turn into a bit more(I'm not sure yet). Thank you for all the wonderful and helpful reviews(a special thanks goes to **_**Love and Rock Music**_**). I know, still way too little Rory and Jess but the next chapter will be all them so I hope it will make up for this one. Next chapter should be up...Thursday, if work doesn't get in the way again. Thank you again for the reviews, I hope you liked this chapter.  
**


	3. Late Night, part 1

**Late night-Part 1**

_After her mother had fallen asleep she got out of the house and walked slowly through the quiet town. Being back there was waking up many memories, as was seeing Jess. Soon, she found herself at the old wooden bridge, without even noticing that she was heading that way, and saw him sitting there._

"_Hey, Jess."_

He looked up and took a drag out of the cigarette in his hand. "How did you know I'd be here?"

She smiled and sat down next to him, dangling her feet over the edge of the bridge. "You're not seriously asking me that, are you? Is it ok that I'm here?"

"It's ok." He paused long enough to throw the cigarette butt in the water. "It's been a while."

"More then a while. How are you?"

"Ok. You?"

"Ok." She let out a small chuckle. "God, this is weird."

He smiled and looked at her, playing with the lighter in his hand. "Congratulations on graduating from Yale, by the way. I didn't get a chance to tell you that when it happened."

"Thanks. For this and for making me go back."

"You're overestimating my contribution."

"No, I'm not. I mean it, Jess…I don't think I would be here if it hadn't been for you." She said those words looking straight into his eyes.

"Call it even, then. How is being a real journalist?"

"Exhausting, but I love it. I'm still trying to get used to not being around this place. You? Still working at Truncheon?"

"Yep."

"Have you written anything new?"

"I'm halfway through something."

"Let me know when it comes out."

"It's still miles away from that point. If it will even be published."

"I hope it will be."

"Yeah…me too."

They let the words float around for a while, not bothering to fill the space they leave behind. The silence is comforting and familiar. She was the first one to break it.

"Have you seen the starts tonight?"

He looked up at the sky, then back down and saw her lying down on the bridge. "You'll catch a cold."

She grabbed his hand and tried to pull him down as well. "Come on, Jess, it's so pretty."

"Yes, I've heard pneumonia is beautiful."

Rory wrapped her other hand around his and looked him in the eyes. "Please." She held the last syllable of the word until he lied down next to her.

"If I die it will be your fault."

"I'm taking full responsibility."

They lied on the old bridge looking at the stars, again in silence, while her hand was still wrapped around his. This time, he was the first one that spoke.

"So how are things with the…" He paused looking for a word that wouldn't make her mad. "Guy at Yale."

"We broke up."

"Why?"

"He asked me to marry him. I said no."

"Why?"

"He wasn't it."

"It?"

"It. The one."

"Got it."

"I loved him but not like I…"

"Not like you what?"

She turned around and her eyes met his. "Not like I should have. Not enough to last forever."

"I'm sorry." Rory had expected to hear anything else from him, just not this. She wanted to say something but she didn't know how to reply so she just squeezed his hand, aware for the first time that she was still holding it.

"Thank you." She paused then looked back at the sky. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No. There was someone for a while but it didn't work out." He got up before she had a chance to say anything else on the subject. "It's getting colder out here." Jess took his hand out of hers and stood up. "We should get inside."

Rory got up as well. "I don't want to go home yet. I'm not sleepy."

He smiled and picked a leaf of her sleeve.

"Then come by the diner. I'll make you some coffee."

Rory nodded and smiled softly at him. "Let's go."

**Sorry, sorry, sorry. I wrote this and then my computer crashed and I got sick. Life gets in the way. I'm going way tomorrow so I'm not going to update for at least 10 days but I should have the next chapters up by the time I get back and post them as soon as I'm home(I also won't have an internet connection so I won't be able to reply to your reviews). Thank you for the reviews. The special thanks for this chapter goes to **_**ohxrosie **_**for making me think and rethink the direction I wanted to take with this chapter.**


	4. Late night, part 2

**It's alive…with the sound of music! Erm, sorry about that I felt the need to throw in 2 random movie references. Anyway, after a long, long wait chapter 4 is here. Thanks go to my lovely beta, live4ska, for the time and effort to read through my stuff. The next chapter should hopefully be up by the end of this week. Enjoy!**

Late night - part 2

They walked to the dinner quietly, stealing glances at each other from time to time. Once they got there Jess picked up the key from the door frame and unlocked the door, holding it open long enough for Rory to walk in. When they were inside, he turned on the lights while she sat down on one of the stools at the counter. Jess stepped behind the counter and turned on the coffee machine, waiting for it to be done.

"So, tell me about your life now." Rory asked him from her seat.

"Nothing much to tell."

"I'm sure it's not that boring."

"Wake up, get dressed, walk downstairs, work, walk back upstairs, write or read, sleep. That's pretty much it. Maybe shower from time to time."

"No wild partying?"

"Oh, regularly. Our flat is like the Playboy mansion. Without the hot tub." He smirked and filled up two cups with coffee, pushing one towards her and keeping the other one. "You? How's your life?"

"I've already told you."

"No, you just told me it's exhausting and it makes you miss this town. I'm sure there's more to it then that."

"Not really. I love getting to see all those places, though. I will miss it when it's over. Not the bus, but everything else."

"How much longer are you going to be on the road for?"

"8 months is he doesn't win the nomination, a year and a bit if he does."

"Quite a while, then."

"Yeah. People are already leaving for other jobs. I guess it gets hard after a while. But for now, I'm happy where I am." She smiled and sipped her coffee.

"And how long are you town for?"

"Until Tuesday morning. You?"

"Leaving tomorrow."

"What time?"

"As early as I can."

"You should stay until tomorrow night. Apparently mom decided to throw me a birthday party."

"Huh."

"Was that a yes or a no?"

"That was an "And I'm invited?"."

"I'd love for you to be there." Rory looked into his eyes, trying to convince him to stay.

"I'll think about it. Where's this party going to be?"

"Our house."

"Will your grandmother be there? Because I can deal with Lorelai, but that woman still freaks me out."

Rory laughed and put her hand over his, reassuringly. "She has other plans. I'm seeing her tomorrow morning and we're having dinner on Monday night. Grandpa might be there, though."

"He doesn't know who I am, does he?"

She giggled again and picked up her coffee cup. "Nope. You'll be safe." She paused for a second before continuing. "Does this mean you're coming?"

"It means I might come."

"Playing hard to get? What if I promise cake?"

"Well, for cake..."

"So, you're coming?"

"Did you ever think I was going to say no?" He answered, his usual sarcastic smirk playing on his lips.

Rory yelped excitedly and leaned over the counter, wrapping her arms around him in a quick hug. "Thank you!" After she sat back down, she looked at him and saw him trying to stop himself from laughing.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering why you're so excited about this. It's not like I said I'm getting you a present or anything."

"No present?" She started pouting, holding the cup of coffee in her hand.

"Unless you want a porcelain unicorn, I don't see what I could find in less then 24 hours for you in Stars Hollow."

"Oh, well, I'll live without a present then." She pushed her mug towards him. "Can I have some more coffee instead?"

"You don't plan on sleeping tonight?"

"Half a cup."

He cocked an eyebrow and looked at her, holding the pot in his hand. "I am not taking any blame if you stay up until 4 in the morning."

"Agreed."

Jess poured her some coffee then put the pot back, sliding the cup towards her. She grabbed the mug, holding it close to her. "Thank you."

"No problem."

They were quiet for a few moments, both looking at their cups. She was the first to say anything.

"Jess...can I ask you a serious question?"

"Why do I have a feeling I'm not going to like this?"

"I can just forget it."

"Ask." He said harshly, his earlier smirk long gone.

"You sure?"

"Just ask."

"Why are you being nice to me? You should hate me."

"Why?" Jess asked looking straight into her eyes, making her squirm in her chair.

"For..um...last time." She took a deep breath before finishing the sentence. "For Philadelphia."

"I don't hate you."

"You should."

"You said that before."

"Why don't you hate me? If anything, out of the two of us, you have more right to hate me."

"It was too long ago, Jess. And I never really hated you. Thought you could have handled things better? Sure. But hate you? Nope."

"So why should I hate you then?"

"Because what I did was unfair to you. I shouldn't have come, shouldn't have dragged you in my mess and..." Suddenly she looked up from her cup and into his eyes. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry."

"It's ok. And, for what it's worth and way too many years too late, I'm sorry as well."

Rory smiled at him and he just smiled back. She finished her cup of coffee in one gulp and put it back down on the counter. Jess looked at the now empty mug.

"You're not getting any more."

"I think I should go get some sleep anyway."

"Good choice."

She got up and walked to the door, then turned around to face him.

"You're still coming tomorrow, right?"

"I'll be there."

She waved and smiled tiredly, opening the door.

"Good night, Jess."

"Night, Ror."

* * *

A few minutes later, Rory walked inside her mother's house, trying not to wake anyone up. Before she could get to her room, she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table, drinking coffee and looking through a magazine. Lorelai heard her steps and looked up, pushing the magazine aside.

"This is way after your curfew, missy!" She threatened jokingly, motioning for Rory to come sit down. "Coffee?"

"I've had some."

"Orange juice then?"

"We have orange juice? Really? In this house?" She asked, skeptical.

"It's Luke's."

"Figures."

"Still, do you want some?"

"I'm ok. Why are you up? Did I wake you up when I left?"

"Paul Anka decided he had to sleep on me tonight. I think I miss him lining up the shoes. So do I have to guess where you went or are you going to tell me? Although I think I might have a pretty good guess as to who you were with."

"Are you mad?"

Lorelai looked at her, surprised by her question. "Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"You never liked him that much."

"Rory, you're both grown-ups. I don't have that much of say if you want to do anything. I couldn't stop you in high school, you don't honestly think I am going to lie to myself and assume I could stop you now?"

"Nothing that would require stopping happened. We talked. We're friends. I just made it not-weird." She used her mother's earlier phrase, getting a smile in return.

"Listening to what mommy says...Good girl!"

They both chuckled and Lorelai filled her cup again, waving the pot in front of her daughter. "You sure you don't want any? It's good."

"I'd like to get some sleep tonight. Be pretty for my party tomorrow."

"I can let you go to sleep if you want."

"I think it can wait a few more minutes."

"So...anything you'd like to tell me about tonight?"

"Nothing much to tell. We talked, had coffee, and that's it. Oh, by the way, I invited him to the party tomorrow. Is that ok?"

"And he's coming?" Lorelai asked, surprised. "He does realize other people will be there, right? The whole town, to be more precise."

"He said he'd come."

"Huh."

"What?"

"Nothing...I just never in a million years expected him to subject himself voluntarily to that kind of torture."

"He's changed."

"You keep telling me that, Luke keeps telling me that...I'm just waiting for proof."

"Like?"

"I don't know. But coming to the party is a good first step."

They were both quiet for a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts.

"Do you want to get back together with him?" Lorelai asked all of a sudden, looking at her daughter.

"Where did that come from?"

"Just wondering."

"I...don't know. And it's not like it's actually a real possibility anyway, so I'd rather not think about it. He has his life, I'm on the road constantly..."

"But, do you want to?"

"It just feels like there's some unfinished business between us right now. Do you know what I'm trying to say?"

Lorelai nodded, sighing. "He's your Christopher."

"What do you mean?"

"I love Luke. I loved him the first time we were together. It didn't stop just because we were apart. In any way I can think of, he is the one for me. But I've been thinking about this, and I'm not sorry I married your dad. He's just been this possibility for me, always, and I needed to know if there was any chance we could make it work. I'm not telling you this to push you to Jess, that's your choice to make and in no way do I mean you should go ahead and marry him." She said with a smile. "But I do think you need closure on that front if you want a really successful relationship with anyone else."

"And how exactly are we supposed to get closure?"

"Kid, if I knew that I wouldn't have wasted 23 years dragging this mess around with me."

"You've been thinking about this."

"You two just seem to gravitate towards each other. Maybe this weekend is fate's way of telling you something. What, I don't know. But ignoring fate leads to bad things. What if the price you'll have to pay is no more good hair days? Or worse yet, no more Sephoras?"

Rory giggled and then got up, kissing her mother's head.

"I'll see. Now it's time for both of us to go to bed. Busy day tomorrow."

"Yes, couldn't forget the lunch with Grump and Grumpier. I've already had dinner with them Friday, why do I have to go?"

"Because I will be there and you want to spend time with me?"

"I could just sequester you and not let you get back to your job."

"Ah, sure, the mature way. Not to mention completely illegal. Bed. Soon."

"Yes, mom." Lorelai grumbled, getting up as well and throwing her mug in the sink.

"If Paul Anka bother you again just send him to my room."

"Ok. Good night, sweetie." She gave her daughter a hug and then waited for her to walk in her bedroom, before heading back upstairs and, turning off the lights on her way out.


	5. There's something about parties

**Chapter 5 and exciting things happen! To find out what, you'll have to read =).**

**A special thank you goes to live4ska, for the beta and to all those that reviewed. It means a lot to know people are still reading this.**

**Thank you again and enjoy!**

* * *

It's Sunday night and it seems like the whole town has gathered in the Gilmore house, trying to see Rory for the first time in months and celebrate her birthday. She is standing in the living room, talking to Miss Patty and Babette and drinking as fast as she can, looking for an escape. They were nice, but loved prying into her personal life.

"So, have you heard anything from Logan since you broke up?"

"No, Babette."

"I'm so sorry, sugar, he seemed like a nice young man."

"He is."

"How about your new coworkers? Any cute men trying to woo you?" The red-haired woman asked, wiggling her brow suggestively.

"No men, it's all pretty quiet."

"Now, now, you don't expect me to believe that, do you? Spending all that time together, in a bus...it must be fascinating!"

"It is, but..." She started trailing off, trying to find a way to make the women understand that the bus was nothing like a heavy-metal tour bus, with alcohol flowing freely around and all kinds of other things she didn't even want to imagine, thinking about her coworkers. Before she got a chance to say anything else, Lorelai walked up to them, wrapping an arm loosely around her daughter's waist.

"Ladies, what are you doing to my kid?"

"Nothing, sweetheart, just trying to get the juicy details out of her."

"You'll have to wait and read her memoir for that. Now, if you'll excuse us, Sookie wants to see her." She replied, smiling at the two women, guiding Rory away.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Rory sighed, relieved, while they made their way to the kitchen. "I have never been more grateful in my life."

"Not even for the whole giving birth to you thing?"

"That was all good and nice but for this one...I owe you." She replied, picking up the pitcher and filling her glass the pouring her mother a drink as well. "So, where's Sookie?"

"Somewhere around here...not exactly sure where."

"So...she didn't want to see me?"

"I might have lied a little to save you."

"You are the best mommy in the world." Rory grinned, hugging her mother.

"Finally, recognition of my greatness!"

"Where is grandpa hiding?" She changed the subject, looking around her.

"Outside."

"And you haven't seen...?"She trailed off, staring at the glass in her hand.

"Jess?" Her mother asked and Rory just nodded, not taking her eyes off the glass. "Sorry, sweetie. Maybe something happened and he had to leave early." She tried to find an explanation for the young man's absence and make her daughter feel better, despite her own doubts.

"That's probably it." Rory took a drink from her glass and then looked at her mother. "I'm just going to go find grandpa now. See if he needs anything."

"Ok." Lorelai nodded slowly, seeing the disappointed look in her daughter's eyes.

Rory headed out of the house through the back door, walking slowly. She went around the corner and heard her grandfather's voice so she hurried her steps, trying to get there faster and save him from whatever eccentric town's person was bothering him. She loved them all and knew they meant well but she wasn't sure he would think the same. She turned around the last corner of the narrow porch and saw her grandfather sitting on the couch talking with a way too familiar looking man.

"Jess." She said, taking a few hesitant steps forward. "You came."

"I said I would."

"I know." She looked away from him, smiling at Richard. "Grandpa, why are you sitting out here in the cold?"

"It was a bit too crowded inside. And I'm in good company out here."

"I'm happy you're enjoying yourself, then. Do you need a drink or anything?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

"How about you, Jess?"

"I'm ok." He looked at his watch. "Actually, I should get going soon. I have to drive back to Philadelphia tonight."

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Jess." Richard said, smiling at the young man.

"Same here." He replied, shaking the older man's hand, getting up from the couch.

"Rory, you should bring him over for dinner next time you're both in town."

She laughed. "We'll see about that, grandpa. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

"Take your time. Goodbye, Jess."

"Goodbye, Mr. Gilmore."

Jess and Rory walked off the porch, heading to the back of the house where they could be alone for a while.

"Thank you for coming."

"It wasn't that bad."

"Next you'll admit you enjoyed yourself."

"Never. It would ruin my street cred. But you're grandfather is an interesting man. We had a nice chat."

"Books, I'm assuming."

"How his love for Hemingway wasn't passed on to you, I'll never know." He said, smirking.

"Will you ever let that one go?"

"Never."

She laughed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

Jess pointed to the house with his thumb. "You should get back to your party. Sorry I can't stay any longer but..."

"It's ok. It was good seeing you."

"Yeah, same here. Good luck with the job and everything."

"Thanks. Good luck with the new book." She smiled softly at him.

"I'll send you a copy if it's ever done and published."

"It better be. You're a great writer."

"You're being too nice to me."

"Nope, I'm not. _The Subsect_ is one of the few books I took with me when I left."

He stayed quiet, not knowing how to reply to her comment.

Rory took a step forward, smiling at him.

"Thank you again for coming."

He nodded, smiling as well. "Happy birthday, Ror."

She stood there, in front of him, trying to find a way to say goodbye to him.

But instead of goodbye her feet slowly moved forward and, before either one of them could think about it, she had closed the gap between them, her mouth softly brushing against his and he wrapped his arms around her waist. They stood there, hidden in the darkness, kissing slowly.

They heard a door opening and quickly jumped back, avoiding each other's eyes.

"Rory, we have to cut the cake before people start leaving!" Lorelai shouted from the back door, walking quickly back inside.

She looked at him, regret filling her eyes.

"I have to go." As soon as she finished her sentence she turned around and started walking towards the house but before she reached the steps she turned around and looked at him again.

"Drive safe!"


	6. Fruit basket, smoke signal

**A/N: This was fast =). Nothing much to say other then thank you for the reviews and, of course, a special thank you goes to live4ska for the beta. And, if you haven't yet and you're in the mood for an angsty Lit, go check out my new story, "Absolution". **

**Thank you again and I hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

He was angry. He had spent the last 3 days wandering around the apartment, snapping at his roommates, drowning himself in work.

Trying to forget about his own stupidity.

He had promised himself that he wasn't going to do that again. Go near her. That never ended well, for either one of them. And yet they had kissed and she had fled, just like she had done many years before, telling him to drive safe. At least he should consider himself happy she hadn't told him not to tell anyone this time.

He walked into his apartment after a quick run to the grocery store only to find a slightly scared looking Matt, waiting for him.

"What?"

"Um…something came for you."

"What?"

"A fruit basket."

* * *

_Monday morning, at 4 AM, in the Gilmore house._

_Lorelai snuck into her daughter's room, hoping to find her asleep in her bed and celebrate her birthday like they used to when she lived at home. Instead she saw her sitting at her desk, typing away furiously._

"_Rory, what's wrong?"_

_The girl turned around and looked at her mother, a smile on her face. _

"_I don't suppose you know where I could find a fruit basket in Hartford?"_

* * *

"Dude, who'd send you a fruit basket? Have they ever met you?" The young man asked, confused.

Jess smirked, his bad mood forgotten. "I think I have a pretty good idea. And if I'm right, it's someone who knows me better than most people."

_

* * *

_

"_A fruit basket? Why would you ever need that?"_

"_It's a present."_

"_Well, most people don't buy themselves presents. Especially not in fruit form. Chocolate, yeah, but not fruit."_

"_It's not for me, mom."_

"_Then who's it for?"_

"_Jess." Rory replied smiling again._

* * *

"Know you and still send you fruit? Does not compute."

"I'd explain but, frankly, it's none of your business."

Matt looked hurt by his sentence.

"I thought we were friends."

"We are. But this is a long and complicated story. And I'm not even sure it's from who I think it is. And even if it is, it could be something bad."

"You're not making sense. Unless…" An idea seemed to form in his head. "Unless it's from her."

_

* * *

_

"_You want to send Jess a fruit basket?" Lorelai asked, accentuating his name._

"_Yes."_

"_Why? Did something happen? Is he sick?"_

"_No, he's not, but something did happen."_

"_And you neglected to tell mommy?"_

"_I was going to tell you at breakfast today."_

"_When did this something happen?"_

"_Last night."_

* * *

"Am I right?" Matt asked again.

"I'm hoping you are."

"But, dude, why would she send you a fruit basket?"

"What part of long and complicated didn't you understand?"

"The one in which you decide not to tell me about this particular incident, even though you've told both me and Chris the story before."

"And I'm starting to regret ever doing that." He replied, getting frustrated by his friend's insistence. He wanted to see if she had sent him anything else. A note. A letter.

"I'm not letting go of this until I hear exactly what happened." Matt picked up the basket from the counter, hugging it tightly. "I must know."

"Can't I tell you later? After I see the thing?"

"No way! Then I'll have no pull and I really don't have enough money to get you drunk and get the story out of you that way."

Jess sighed, annoyed then sat down on the couch. If there was one thing he had learned by living with Matt, is that he'd never give up.

"Fine." He waited for the other man to sit down and then started. "The day I moved back to Stars Hollow…"

_

* * *

_

"_And then I saw him in Doose's and he asked me why I never wrote to him, or sent him a fruit basket or a smoke signal."_

"_Why did I never know this?"_

"_You never too fond of the Jess situation and I didn't want to make you angry. And I still didn't know how to deal with everything."_

"_Ok, let's say I get it. Why exactly do you want to send him a fruit basket now?"_

"_Because…something happened last night."_

* * *

"So that's why you've been a miserable jerk for the last three days."

"Have I actually been that bad?" Jess asked.

"No, you've been a peach."

"Sorry." He shrugged.

"It's ok. We're used to it. And it's not like Chris is that much better most of the time."

"Now can I get my fruit basket?" Jess inquired, anxious.

"Sure, man." Matt handed him the basket, smiling. "Good luck."

"Thanks."

* * *

"_What?" Lorelai asked, trying to get over her shock. "When? How? Where was I?"_

"_Inside. When I went to look for grandpa, Jess was outside talking to him. To make a long story short, it ended up with us kissing."_

"_You and Jess kissed?"_

"_Yes." Rory replied, her voice barely above a whisper._

"_Does this having anything to do with our conversation the other night?"_

"_Maybe."_

"_And now…?"_

"_Now I'm going to tell him I'm not sorry. And try to fight for him."_

_Lorelai smiled at her daughter, putting a hand of her shoulder._

"_Kid, I know I haven't always been his biggest fan but, for what it's worth, if he makes you happy, I hope it works out the way you want it."_

_Rory smiled back. "Thanks, mom."_

* * *

Jess picked up the basket and pointed to his room.

"I'm just…gonna do this in there."

"Let me know what she said."

"Will do."

He walked back to his room then put the basket on the bed. He was nervous. He never believed he could be that nervous about looking at something. He tried to reassure himself by reminding himself that it could very well be just a fruit basket. Or it could have a note saying she regrets what happened.

Or that she never wants to see him again.

"Oh, to hell with it!" He took off the bow and looked inside.

The first thing he saw was a picture of a smoke cloud.

Jess picked up the postcard and looked at it, a smile creeping on his lips. She did remember that conversation. He flipped it around, only to see three words scribbled on it.

"_Look some more."_

He put it down on the bed and started looking through the basket, pushing the pieces of fruit out of his way until he found a neatly folded piece of paper. He picked it up carefully and sat on the bed, trying to decide whether or not to open it. It could be her way of saying goodbye.

He had to know.

He unfolded it slowly, her neat handwriting appearing on the white background. He took a deep breath before he started reading.

_Dear Jess,_

_This letter is so many years too late. Do you ever wonder what our lives would have been like if I had written to you that summer? I have. I don't have an answer, only the certainty that we would have had more time together. I should have written to you then._

_Anyway, I'm not writing to you to dig through our past. We both know it and there's no point in trying to figure out what could have been. What I'm trying to figure out now is what could be._

_Before I go any further, I want to say that if you think there's nothing more to our story, it's fine. I won't be angry or hate you. If you only want us to be friends, I'm fine with that as well. We can play it cool. Be Frank at the Sands, if you will. _

_But I want to be with you. Because I think we deserve another chance. Because I think there is more to us. Because I really think we could be happy together. Not rekindling an old flame, but starting something new, from scratch. Leaving all that's happened in the past, where it belongs and try to see where we could be._

_And yes, I know that this would be hard. Just because we can say the words it doesn't mean that all is forgotten and it does take more than saying "I'm sorry" to heal both our wounds. Also, my job isn't exactly stable so it would be hard to see each other. But…I want to work on this with you. I want to find a way to make it. _

_Because I did love you. And, cheesy as it may be, you made me happy. So happy I would forget how to breathe at times. So happy that none of the other things mattered half the time. You made me feel so much more alive. With you, I knew who I was. _

_I'm going to stop now before I turn this into something too romantic. _

_Sorry if the fruit basket and postcard were too much, but I wanted to cover all my bases. And, if anything I wrote down bothers you in any way, I'm really sorry. It wasn't my intention. I do want you to be happy._

_If you decide to write or call, my phone number and email address are below. Even if it's to tell me to go to hell. That you want to be friends. Whatever you want to say. _

_Love, _

_Rory_


	7. A rather disappointing note

**A/N: I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up(I'm going on vacation tomorrow!) but hopefully it shouldn't take more than a week or so. **

**Thanks go to my awesome beta, live4ska, and to all the people who read and review this. Thank you all and enjoy =).**

* * *

Jess walked out of the room, her letter tucked safely in his pocket. He went to the kitchen, picking up a soda from the fridge and the saw Matt and Chris, sitting on the couch. When they spotted him, they waved him over.

"What did she say?" Matt inquired.

"If I said it is private would it make a difference?"

"Dude, I'd just scour through your room until I found out."

"You're nosier than an old lady."

"I need entertainment. There's nothing good on TV."

"Damn you."

"Oh, go on, you know he will go through your stuff if you don't tell him." Chris chimed in, waiting to hear what had happened as well.

"The concept of privacy is completely lost on you guys, isn't it?"

"Yes. Now spill."

Jess sighed and threw himself in the arm chair, opening the can of Coke in his hand.

"She says she wants to give it another try."

The other two young men looked at him, waiting for him to go on. When he didn't say anything, Matt decided to probe further. "And?"

"And what?"

"And what do you want to do?"

Chris punched his friend in the arm. "Don't be retarded, he wants her back."

Jess smirked, looking at him. "Your psychic connection with me told you that?"

"No, the fact that you haven't seriously dated anyone since I've known you and that you've been barking at us since Sunday because of what happened when you went there told me that."

"It's rather scary that you take that much interest in my private life."

"So, what are you going to do?" Matt asked him, curious.

"I don't know."

"It's not brain surgery. Call the girl. Take her out for coffee. Go see her this weekend."

"I don't know where she is. She's following Obama on the campaign trail."

"Then call your uncle and find out, you idiot." Chris said.

"And what if she's at the other end of the country?"

"Send her something back. Just…do something. Don't let her get away again."

"Mostly because we couldn't deal with the sulking and pouting version of you any longer." Matt finished his friend's thought, smiling. "Think of our safety, Jess! Our sanity!" He finished, sighing dramatically.

Jess let out a small chuckle at their antics then got up, walking to the door leading to his room.

"I'll think of something."

"You better!" Chris yelled from the couch before Jess closed the door behind him.

Once Jess was back in his room, alone, he started thinking about what he could do. When he found an idea that thought would work he picked up his phone and dialed his uncle's number, waiting for it to ring.

"Luke…I need a favor. Can you find out where Rory is this weekend?"

* * *

Saturday morning.

Rory was still in her hotel bed, trying to write her mother an email. Her mind wasn't on it, though. Jess should have gotten her present by now and she still hadn't heard anything from him. She heard a knock on her door and went to open it, waiting to see one of the other reporters she was friendly with, asking her if she was in the mood for breakfast or coffee. Instead, she saw one of the hotel employees, holding a small package.

"This came for you, Miss Gilmore."

"Thank you." She replied, taking the package from him. "Just wait a second, ok?" She smiled at him and picked up a couple of dollars from her purse, handing them to him. "Here you go. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day." The man smiled at her then turned around, walking towards the elevator.

Rory sat on the bed, unwrapping her present anxiously. Behind the shiny paper, she could see the cover of a book. She threw the paper away and looked at the title. It was an old and tattered edition of "The Fountainhead". She opened and the book and saw his notes in the margins. She flipped through the pages rapidly, seeing that every single one had his thoughts scribbled in. On the last page she saw a few words written in a different color pen.

"_I made it to the end. Never again."_

She flipped through the pages once more, hoping to find anything else but his notes only referred to the book. She sighed, frustrated, and picked up the wrapping paper from the floor and moved to throw it away but another piece of paper fell out of it. She picked it up smiling and opened it.

"_Flowers would have been too clichéd, don't you think? _

_So you want to be with me, huh? Is that supposed to be in the way that involves nudity? Because that's kind of how that sentence reads."_

Rory threw the piece of paper on the bed, irritated and blushing furiously, muttering "Bastard!" under her breath. She picked it up again and read the last sentence.

"_I'm guessing your cheeks are crimson right now. How about you open the door and let me see if I was right?"_

She whispered "Jess…" before leaping out of the bed and running to the door, opening it only to find him standing outside, smirking. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him closely, while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"You're a jerk." She said, still not letting go.

"It's nice to see you, too."

They stood in the hallway, hugging, neither one of them saying anything else. Rory finally let go and took a step back, a smile creeping on her lips as she looked him in the eyes.

"Does this mean…?"

Jess cupped her face in his hands, slowly leaned over and kissed her, his thumb gently caressing her cheek. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers, his sarcastic smirk replaced by one of his rare smiles. Rory smiled back, placing another kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"You shouldn't have come all the way here."

"Huh. So you changed your mind? Something about seeing me that made you regret the fruit basket?" He asked, his smirk now back.

"Now, Jess, it's not that at all!" She took his hand in hers. "You just shouldn't have driven all the way here, taken time off work and everything. A phone call would have been enough."

"But I wanted to see you." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Seeing as my coworkers pushed me to come here, I don't think they mind me taking the time off. Also, keeping in mind that this is, you know, the weekend, it's not like I'm actually skipping work."

Rory looked at him then flung her arms around his neck again, hugging him. "It's so good to see you." He buried his head in her hair, kissing her temple.

A few seconds later, she pulled back again, wrapping her fingers around his again.

"Want to come inside for some coffee or tea?"

"And not stand in the hallway all day? But I'm starting to get used to it."

"Is it your plan to be as annoying as you can today?"

He leaned over, whispering in her ear. "Just reminding you of what you're getting into."

"I can deal." She smiled, kissing his cheek quickly. "It's worth it."

Jess kissed her again, wrapping an arm around her waist. "You mentioned coffee?" She just nodded, pushing the door open and the both walked in. Jess sat on a chair while she turned on the electric kettle, picking up a jar of instant coffee.

"It's all I can make in here. We can go out in you want."

He just waved it off. "I don't care. If you can drink it, I won't mind."

"Believe it or not, I've become rather fond of it. We're friends now. Could be because it's the only thing keeping me alive half the time. Especially when I'm typing away furiously, trying to finish an article." She answered, pouring the coffee granules in two mugs then topping them with hot water. She mixed them up quickly then walked over to him, handing him one. "Here."

"Thanks."

Rory put her mug on the table and pulled the other chair, sitting next to him. She glanced over at the bed and saw the book and his note again.

"That was such a disappointing note."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"It's just…not the kind of note that one would keep forever in a jewelry box."

"It was never my intention for you to keep it forever. I wanted to annoy you so I could get my payback for you running away again. And, just for the record, I was really far off. Your cheeks were closer to carmine than crimson. "

She got up and took the few steps separating them, cupping his face in her hands and leaning over, kissing him gently. "I didn't want to run away. I needed time to process."

He pulled her down, making her sit in his lap. "It's ok." He whispered, wrapping his arm around her waist again to keep her from sliding off. "But are you sure you've processed everything? Thought this over a million times? Because…Ror, there won't be any turning back if you change your mind. This vicious circle has to stop at some point."

She ran her hands through his hair. "I have thought this over. Probably more than a million times. I'm not going to go through all the things I wrote in that letter again, but they were all true. Are you sure that you want this?"

He nodded, placing another kiss on her lips.

"So, how can we make it work this time?" Rory asked, smiling.


	8. Slow

**A/N: Here you go, darlings. Special thanks go to my lovely beta, live4ska, who took the time to look over this and to all of you who reviewed. Not sure when the next chapter is going up, seeing as I'm still on vacation. Reviews are love ;)**

* * *

"_So, how can we make it work this time?" Rory asked, smiling. _

Jess pushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her neck.

"I don't know. Do we need a plan? Can't we just take it as it comes?"

"Because that worked so well last time."

"But we're not seventeen anymore. You can make all the plans you want, life will still find a way to surprise you. For example can you honestly say that you expected this to happen last week, when you decided to go see your mother?"

"That's on you. You weren't supposed to be there." She replied, smiling.

He smirked again, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I am starting to think you don't want this. You're fighting rather hard. First, asking me why I came, now telling me I shouldn't have been there." He sighed. "If you want me to go, Rory, I will…"

Rory giggled and leaned over, kissing him. "Don't you dare leave."

"Ever? Because I do have to be back at work on Monday."

"This weekend."

"I wasn't planning to." He replied, his fingers playing with her hair. "Is it ok if I stay here? I promise the only thing I'm expecting is a place on the floor to sleep, and maybe a blanket. I can find a hotel room if that's too much."

Rory kissed him again. "Stay here. I don't want to waste the few hours we have together."

"You're sure that's ok?"

She nodded. "I'm sure." She got up and sipped from her cup. "The coffee's cold."

"Want to go somewhere for coffee and breakfast?" Jess asked, looking at the clock on the wall. "Lunch, actually.", he corrected himself.

"Good idea." She replied, nodding again. Jess got up and waited for her to grab a coat and her bag before she walked up to him, clasping his hand in hers. "Let's go." They walked to the door and he opened it for her, waiting for her to walk out and then check to see if it was locked before heading for the elevators. Rory pushed the button and they waited for the doors to open.

Once they were outside, she wrapped her arm around him and smiled.

"Are you in the mood for anything?"

"Not really. What's close and good?"

"I have no idea. I've only been in Washington once before and we stayed at a different hotel."

"How many cities have you been in so far?" Jess asked while they started walking down the street, keeping an eye out for restaurants.

"This is the tenth, I think. We have frequent stops in Chicago though. We're going off to the West Coast next week."

"So you're going to be far away for a while?"

"I think so."

He leaned over, whispering in her ear. "Bummer."

Rory smiled, moving even closer to him. "I will be back in time for mom's wedding. You are going, right?"

"I doubt I have any chance of getting out of it. And seeing as I am supposed to the best man, it would be rather cruel of me not to show up."

"So you said 'yes' to that?"

"Luke asked, I couldn't have said no. I'm still shocked he asked me, though."

"Why?"

"I just…didn't expect it. I wasn't exactly nice to him in high school."

"Jess, we all know you're not that angry teenager anymore." She said, smiling reassuringly. "I think even mom is starting to get it."

"Huh."

"She might not be fully convinced yet, but I do think she sees it."

"As long as you see it, I don't care about anyone else."

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." She replied, kissing him softly.

* * *

That evening, they were back in the hotel room. Jess had picked up his bag from his car and they were now sitting on the bed, flipping though the channels on the TV, not really paying attention.

"Do you want to go out somewhere tonight?" He asked, looking at Rory.

"Nope. I want to sit here, with you."

"Perfect plan." Jess replied, leaning over and placing a kiss on her lips. "Mind if I leave you alone for ten minutes while I go take a shower?"

Rory shook her head. "Go ahead. I'll try to find something decent to watch."

"Ok." He said, getting out of bed and picking his bag. "I'll be right back."

"Take your time."

He stopped by the bed, giving her another quick kiss before heading in to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Rory heard the water running and smiled, knowing that everything was right as it was supposed to be, for the first time in years.

Rory settled on a news channel but her phone rang so she got up, looking at the caller ID.

"Hey, mom."

"_Where have you been all day? No phone, no email…don't you love me anymore?"_ Lorelai sighed dramatically from the other end of the phone.

"I've been busy."

"_Work?"_

"No. I think you'll need to sit down for this one."

"_Why? What happened?"_ Lorelai inquired.

"I didn't hear you moving."

"_I was already on the couch. Now don't make me have to drag this out of you. Because I would use torture to satisfy my curiosity."_

"Jess is here."

"_What?"_ Her mother asked, shocked. _"He finally decided to answer your letter? It took him long enough."_

"It seems he wants to give it another try as well." She answered, a grin spreading across her lips.

"_So, it's official now?"_

"I think you can call it that, yeah."

"_Does that mean that the next time someone in town asks me about your dating life, I can tell them you're back with Jess?"_

"We haven't really talked about it, but I think it should be fine. I'll ask him and see what he says and then call you back tomorrow. Can you not tell grandma and grandpa, though? I want to be the one that tells him and if you tell grandma, he'll know."

"_Rory, when have I ever offered information voluntarily to my parents? And it's not like she who must disapprove of every single aspect of my life talks about anything lately other than my upcoming nuptials. It's week after week of flowers and colors and have I picked a minister yet, do I know what food I want, do I think her blue dress would be good enough to wear?"_ Lorelai ranted, not taking the time to breathe.

"And as fascinating as that is, I have to go now. I think Jess is coming out of the shower." Rory said, hearing the water turn off.

"_Shower? What have you been doing all day? On second thought, don't answer that."_

"Not what you're thinking. Ok, I really have to go, mom."

"_Call me when he leaves with the details. And, kid…you sound happy."_

Rory smiled. "I am. Really happy."

"_Good to know. Now I must go inform my fiancé of this because he's been waiting for updates since he heard about the letter and let you get back to your hoodlum. Bye, sweets."_

"Good night, mom."

Rory hung up, putting her phone back on the nightstand and resumed flipping through the channels. A few seconds later, Jess emerged from the bathroom, wearing a pair of black sweats and an old Metallica t-shirt. He sat on the bed, looking at her.

"Who were you talking to? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, mom was just worried because I hadn't called or emailed her today. Everything's settled now."

"I'm assuming she also knows about me now."

"I think she had a pretty good idea you existed even before that phone call." Rory teased him.

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, she knows. She asked if it's ok if she tells people."

"What did you say?"

"That I'd check with you first."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to do something you don't."

"I don't care. If you want them to know, then it's fine with me." He leaned over, looking straight in her eyes. "If it was up to me, I'd shout it to the world."

Rory smiled, cupping his face in her right hand. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For making me this happy." She said, sealing her sentence with a kiss. Jess pulled her over, hugging her tightly.

A few seconds later, he let go and shifted on the bed, leaning back against the headboard. Rory quickly found her place, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, Jess…?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it ok if we stay in _this place _a while longer? Take it slow."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…not go _there_ yet."

"There? You're going to have to be a little clearer than that." He replied, smirking, knowing exactly what she meant.

"I don't want us to move too fast and ruin things. I want us to get to know each other again first before…that."

"That?" He teased her again. Rory looked at him, frustrated, and slapped him arm playfully.

"You know very well what I mean!"

"I wanted to hear you say it."

"Why?"

"Because I like seeing you blush."

"You can be frustrating at times."

"I know."

"But, going back to being serious for a minute…is it ok with you?"

Jess smiled, kissing her gently. "We're taking this at whatever pace you want. I don't want to push you to do something you don't. And…I think taking this slowly is a good plan. Plus I did say earlier that all I was looking for tonight was a place to sleep and I meant it. I came here because I want to be with you, not because I was looking for an easy screw." Rory listened to his words, smiling. When he finished, she leaned over and kissed him. She tried to say something but he stopped her. "Don't even dare thank me for this." She just nodded and kissed him again, going back to leaning on his shoulder.


	9. Box worthy bed time

**A/N: 4 reviews? Was the last chapter that bad? :( Ok, I'll stop whining and review. Hope you like this chapter. **

**Thanks go to the awesome live4ska, for looking this over and putting in a thousand incredibly useful comments and to those that reviewed. You rock, guys! **

* * *

Later that night, they were still in bed watching a movie when Rory started yawning. Jess smiled and kissed her temple.

"I think it's time to sleep."

"But that will take away hours of our time together."

"Yes, and you walking around like a zombie tomorrow, trying to drown yourself in coffee is such a better idea? The quality time we'll spend…unbelievable."

She tried to answer but had to stifle another yawn instead. Jess chuckled.

"That's it." He pulled her in for a hug, burying his face in her hair, placing a soft kiss on top of her head. "Bed time." He said, getting out of bed and looking around. Rory looked up at him confused.

"What are you looking for?"

"A place to sleep."

Rory slid over, grabbing his hand and pulling him back. "You're not sleeping on the floor. Hasn't it already been established that we're adults now? We can share a bed."

Jess sat back down, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"You sure?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"Ok then." He agreed, sliding back up on the bed. Rory got up and grabbed some clothes from a drawer. "I'll just go shower and change."

A few minutes later she was back and sitting on the bed, tying her hair up in a ponytail. Jess moved closer, wrapping his arms around her waist and attacked her mouth. She dropped her hands from her hair and put them on the bed, looking for support. When he pulled back, she smiled and resumed tying her hair.

"What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason? You just…never mind."

"No, say it."

Jess leaned over and whispered softly. "You're just incredibly beautiful… sitting on the bed like that… ready to go to sleep. It's…I don't know how to put it." He finished his thought and placed another kiss on her neck. Rory blushed, laying down on the bed and pulling him down with her.

"You're being too nice to me."

"I'm trying." He leaned over her and turned off the bedside lamp. "Go to sleep."

"You're trying to change the subject."

"No, I'm trying to get some sleep. I thought the subject was over."

"It wasn't. You don't have to tell me nice things to make me happy. Having you here is enough."

"I didn't know I am not supposed to tell you you're beautiful."

"Jess, it's not that you're not supposed to…I just don't want you to feel like you have to."

He kissed her, his fingers tracing her lips. "I don't. I only said that because I wanted to and because it's obvious enough for blind men to see. And, hey, you can't even claim I'm trying to get you in bed with me…'cause it's too late for that."

Rory ran her fingers through his hair, smiling softly in the dim light coming from outside.

"Do you think we can make it? Despite the distance?"

"I think it's too late to question that now." Jess took her hand in his and placed a soft kiss on her palm. "I want this and, if I remember your letter right, you want it too. We'll find a way to make it work."

She kissed him again, moving closer to him. They soon fell asleep, her body glued to his under the thin blankets.

* * *

The next day flew by quickly, with the two of them just spending time together, talking and reconnecting. Before they knew it, it was Sunday night. Jess finished packing his things and sat back on the bed next to her. Rory looked at him, a sad smile on her lips.

"I don't want you to go."

"I'm not terribly excited about leaving either."

"Then stay for a while longer." She asked, wrapping her arms around him.

"I have to get back to Philly tonight, you know that. And you have a job as well, and that's going to require all your attention tomorrow."

"But…I'm going to miss you." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, biting her lower lip as soon as she finished. Jess leaned over, kissing her.

"It will be fine. We have phone and email. You won't even notice when the next two months pass."

"Ugh…" She groaned. "Don't remind me that it's going to be two months. More than two months, actually!"

"Ror…" He pleaded, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I know. I just…ugh." She groaned again, burying her face in his shoulder. Jess kissed the top of her head, trying to find something to say that would make her feel better. She lifted her head again, trying in vain to smile. "You're taking the week after the wedding off, right?"

"Yes. I have to work on the Christmas number of the e-zine and a few other things but I should be free until the sixth of January, hopefully."

"I hate that we don't even get to spend Christmas together."

"You'll have your mother to distract you. And even if I was there, it's not like we could spend that much time together in the pre-wedding rush." He tried to comfort her. Rory just nodded, smiling weakly this time.

"We'll talk on the phone, right? A lot."

"Yep."

She hugged him again, kissing him as hard as she could. When she let go of him, she looked at the clock on the wall.

"Guess it's really time for you to go."

Jess turned around and looked at the clock as well.

"If I want to get home before midnight, it really is." Rory got out of bed and extended her hand. He got up as well, taking her hand in his and picking up his bag in the other hand. "Let's go." She said while he squeezed her hand softly.

Once they were down at the car, Jess threw his bag in the back seat and then turned around, hugging her.

"It really won't be that long, Ror."

She nodded. "Go. Now. Before I change my mind and jump in the car with you." Jess smiled and kissed her again.

"Ok. And just so you know…I'll miss you too." He said, getting in his car quickly. She stood there, waving goodbye while he drove off. When she could no longer see his car she walked back up to her room. She thought about calling her mother but saw that her phone was running low on battery so she opened the night stand drawer, getting out her charger and plugging in her phone. When she tried to close the drawer back, she saw a note. She picked it up and smiled, seeing his handwriting.

"_I'm not sure what I'm trying to say with this note. Hopefully, it will end up being something you'll want to keep in your jewelry box. If you even have one. _

_You must have figured it out by now that I want to be with you. If you haven't please ignore the rest of the note because if me driving over there to be with you didn't clue you in, I don't think anything ever will (no, I can't stop teasing you for five minutes and try to write a normal note. Forgive me?). You get me. And you had faith in me when no one else did. I might be unfair to Luke right now, but I do think you're the only one who actually knew I could do something with my life. I'm still working on that but…I'm on my way. And you have a lot to do with that. _

_I know this will be hard. I know that there will be times when we'll ask ourselves why we're trying to do this and wondering why we didn't get it by now - that we can't work. But I also know that when those times will pass, we'll look back at realize we were just being stupid. Because I do think we can work. Despite everything. And, while I don't know how this will end, I know it will be an amazing ride. _

_I don't know what more I could say. Finding my words has never been easy when it comes to you. But I am trying to let you in this time. Because I don't want to screw it up again and definitely don't want to hurt you. _

_I think I've been cheesy enough for now. I do mean everything I wrote down. And you have no idea how happy I am. _

_Can you do me a favor and not show this to Lorelai? She'd never stop mocking me._

_Now it's your turn to make it to the end of any Hemingway book. "The Old Man and the Sea" doesn't count._

_I have no idea how to end this so I'm just going to leave it like it is, _

_Jess" _


	10. Was Godfather III just a nightmare?

**A/N: Thank you for the for the delay in posting this but Easter has been stressful.  
**

**

* * *

**

The next two months passed, with daily phone conversations and emails, whispered 'I miss you's and random text messages during the day, sweet reminders of being in the other one's thoughts.

It was Monday before Christmas and Lorelai and Rory were in Lorelai's car, heading back from the airport.

"I'm sorry I couldn't come home earlier…I had to go to the stupid staff party."

Lorelai took her eyes off the road and squeezed her daughter's shoulder reassuringly.

"It's ok. You're home now. And, hey, look on the bright side. Now I can blackmail you with this for the rest of your life."

"Great."

"Yes, I know, it's fantastic."She replied, grinning. "By the way, we're having Christmas dinner with the grandparents tomorrow."

"Isn't it too late for that?"

"What do you mean? Christmas isn't until tomorrow."

"Yes, but they usually have it weeks ahead of time." Rory clarified.

"Oh, they did. But since I just had to plan my wedding around Christmas time and they couldn't get out of town they're making me pay. With multiple dinners. I swear I would have killed her if she hadn't promised me the apple tarts will make an appearance again. And I won't even have Luke there to keep me sane."

"No, but you will have me to deflect all questions. Luke's coming back Wednesday morning with April, right?"

"Yep. If they hadn't sprang this on me last week I would have sworn he was just doing this to avoid being there. And how do you plan on deflecting questions? Telling them about Jess?"

"I'm…thinking about it. I have to tell them before the wedding. You don't suppose there's any chance grandma forgot who he is?"

"Is there any chance the third Godfather was just a bad nightmare? Because I think the two are pretty much at equal odds."

"Oh, well…" Rory sighed. "I'm sure it won't be that bad."

"Did you get hit over the head lately? Because there's no way you can actually expect you telling my mother that you're dating Jess will go over well."

"You know, you're supposed to encourage me. Lie if you have to!" Rory grinned.

"Then of course it will go over extremely well, sweetheart. I'm sure mom forgot all about your boyfriend showing up at dinner with a black eye, not to mention all the other charming things he did when you dated him in high school. She will start planning your wedding next. Will pink work for the bridesmaid dresses?"

Rory laughed, picking up her coffee cup from the cup holder and sipping from it.

"Good job. Now let's talk about the most important thing this week, after the wedding. The bachelorette party! It kind of sucks that I won't get to be an internationally known international supermodel this time."

"If it makes you feel any better we could call you Waffle the entire night."

"Yes, so much better."

"And anyway, you're getting too old to be a supermodel. By now your career has tanked, you have resorted to doing commercials for obscure Japanese sodas and you're just coming out of rehab for the third time. We're hoping it will stick."

"You are seriously disturbed, you know that?"

"I blame my mother." Lorelai grinned, pulling into the drive-way of their home.

* * *

The next day, the girls were sitting in the living room, waiting for time to pass so they could head out to dinner.

"It's creepy, I tell you." Lorelai chimed, opening her purse again and checking its contents. "We can't be ready on time. Simply can't."

"I know. You've never once been ready on time."

"Hey!" Lorelai yelped, trying to sound hurt. "I resent that. I can recall at least three occasions when we were late because of you."

"Did any of those times happen because I had to help you find your stuff and that's why I couldn't get ready myself?" Rory asked, smiling at her mother.

"Could be. So what do we do now?"

"Wait? Unless you'd rather leave now…?"

"Bite your tongue! I will not make this night longer then it has to be."

Rory tried to answer but her phone rang and she picked it up, looking at the number. "It's Jess. I'll take it in my room." Lorelai nodded and put down her purse, picking up the remote.

"Hey, Jess. Merry Christmas!" Rory said, walking to her room and shutting the door behind her, then sat on the bed.

"_Merry Christmas. Is this a good time?"_

"We have some time before I have to go to dinner."

"_Good. So…how's everything?"_

"Same as yesterday. How's everything there?"

"_Same as yesterday."_ He mimicked her reply, smirking at the other end of the phone.

"How did the e-zine go?"

"_All done and up on the website."_

"And you're still coming tomorrow?"

"_Breakfast and then I'll be on my way. I'd leave tonight but I'm exhausted and the guys want to head out for drinks."_

"Less than 24 hours left. Could this be real?"

"_I'd pinch you to make you believe it, but it's hard to do it over the phone. Can I get a rain check?"_

"Depends. Do I get to pinch you back?"

"_Nope. You get to kiss me back."_

"I'll take that." She smiled, playing with the hem of her dress.

"_So, how are things around town? Do I have to wear body armor for when people see me?"_

"Nope. They all seem…ok with it. Well, other than Taylor, but he's insane. And Kirk. I think he's still scared of you."

"_I never did anything to him."_

"I know, but you have to keep in mind that Kirk is scared of twelve year olds."

"_Way to make me feel manly. I'm at the same level as a twelve year old boy."_

"I never said boy." She replied, laughing.

"_So much better. How about everyone else?"_

"They haven't said much. I don't think they'll believe it until they see it."

"_Huh…and the grandparents? Still planning on telling them tonight?"_

"I have to. I'm dreading it, but I will do it. But I would wear that armor under your tux at the wedding, if I were you."

"_I have the special bullet proof Bond edition tux. I'll be safe."_

"I don't think bullet proof is synonymous with Emily proof. I want you alive."

"_Then, seeing as you're so passionate about me staying alive, you'll have to run interference for when she sees me and comes lunging at me."_

Rory giggled at the mental image. "That I can do."

"Rory, we have to go!" Lorelai yelled from the other side of the door, knocking softly.

"Just a second." Rory replied.

"_I guess that's your cue to leave."_

"Guess so. I'll see you tomorrow."

"_Yes, you will. Good luck."_

"Thanks. I'll need it. Bye, Jess."

"_Bye." _

She hung up her phone then put it back in her purse, opening the door to find her mother grinning on the other side.

"Your 'no, you're prettier' conversation officially made us one minute and twenty six seconds late. The tradition still stands! How's the hoodlum?"

"Jess is fine, mom." Rory sighed, smiling at her mother's pet name. "Well, shall we go before we're even later?"

"Fine." Lorelai grumbled, heading towards the front door.

* * *

Later that night, they were sitting in the elder Gilmore's dining room, eating quietly.

"So, Rory how's your friend Jess? Will we be seeing him at the wedding?" Richard asked smiling and putting his glass back down on the table.

"Jess? Is this the same Jess you were dating in high school, Rory?" Emily chimed in from the other end of the table, suddenly interested in the conversation. "How do you know him, Richard? And Rory, why are you still hanging out with that…delinquent?"

"Calm down, dear. I met him at Rory's birthday party. And she hasn't yet confirmed that we're talking about the same young man."

"It's the same man, grandpa. And yes, he'll be at the wedding."

"He's the best man, he better not miss it!" Lorelai said from her seat.

"What? How could you make him best man? He's nothing but trouble!" Emily asked, indignation in her voice.

"Hey, not my choice!" Lorelai lifted her hands up in defeat. "That's Luke's decision. And I would watch my words if I were you, mom, before you said something that really hurt someone's feelings." She accentuated the word 'really', looking her mother straight in the eyes.

"And whose feelings might that be, Lorelai? Luke isn't here and even if he were, he deserves it for making Rory have to go through the ceremony and reception near that…individual, after everything he did to her."

"Mom, stop now!" Lorelai warned, looking at her daughter's angry expression.

"Luke has the right to chose whomever he wants to stand up for him, grandma." Rory replied trying to stay calm. "I am no longer twelve and don't need to be protected. What happened with Jess was a long time ago and I don't appreciate you talking about him like that, when you don't even know him. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to be alone for a while." She finished her sentence and stood up, heading towards her grandfather's desk. She slammed the door behind her, leaving the three people silent at the dinner table.

Lorelai looked at her father. "I'll go talk to her."

"Can I give it a try first?" Richard asked. "I promise that if she wants you, I'll come get you." Lorelai looked at the door again, then nodded softly.

Richard walked to his study and knocked on the door.

"I'll be out in a second!" Rory said from the other room.

"Rory…it's your grandfather. Can I come in?" He asked, opening the door slowly.

"Sure, grandpa." She replied from her seat, whipping her face. Richard sat down in the seat next to hers.

"What's wrong?"

"I just…hate that she talks about Jess like that."

"Rory…your grandmother is concerned about you. We'd both hate to see you get hurt."

"But she doesn't know him. She formed her opinion based on one dinner, almost five years ago and she can't seem to understand that people change or grow up."

"Can I ask you a question?"

She nodded, waiting.

"There's something more than just friendship happening between you two, isn't there?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because, while I know you have a big heart, you wouldn't get this upset if your grandmother was only talking about a friend. And I've seen the way you look at each other. So care to confirm my suspicions?"

"We're dating." She whispered softly. "I wanted to tell you tonight at dinner but…that happened."

Richard placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Well, I for one am happy for you. As for your grandmother...I think it's best if I'm the one to tell her."

Rory nodded, smiling weakly. "You don't have to. I can."

"I know. But after almost 43 years of marriage, I think I know the best way to deal with Emily. And this way, we're not risking another fight between everyone. Ok?"

"Ok." They both got up but before he could walk out, Rory hugged him. "Thank you, grandpa."

"Anytime."


	11. How to deal with the banana fiends?

**A/N: Here's the next chapter. Thanks go to live4ska for the great beta work, to those of you that still read this and, of course, that review. Life is a complicated mess right now so updates will be slower, but definitely coming. **

**Thanks again and I hope you enjoy. **

**

* * *

  
**

Lorelai and Rory were sitting in the kitchen, folding the place markers for the reception and chatting. There was a knock on the door and they looked at each other.

"You get it." Lorelai said.

"Nope, you get it. It's probably someone that needs to know something about the wedding."

"And you can give them those details. Please? For mommy?" She sighed dramatically. "And I'm very, very busy here, anyway." She looked down at her hands. "Can't tear myself away. Literally, because I think I might have glued my thumb to the table."

"You need constant adult supervision, you know that?"

"I do." She grinned. "Good practice for Saturday, don't you think? Now go get the door, sweetie."

Rory got up and sighed as well, picking the bottle of glue and taking it with her.

"This way I know you won't glue yourself to the ceiling!" She called back, walking outside the room and placing the bottle on the counter on her way out. She walked to the lobby and opened the door, getting ready to answer yet another question or accept another gift for her mother, only to find Jess standing on the other side. Almost instantly, her hand let go of the door and she wrapped them tightly around his waist, crushing her mouth to his while his hands rested on her hips. When she pulled back she smiled, not letting go of him.

"You said you were going to call."

"Thought I'd surprise you instead. Is that how you greet everybody? Because if it is, I'll have to insist you never open the door again to anyone but me."

"But the pizza delivery guy will be disappointed." She teased, placing another kiss on his lips.

"He'll have to learn to settle for a regular tip." Jess smirked, moving his hand up to cup her face and kissing her.

"Cough, cough!" Lorelai exclaimed and Rory pulled back, blushing and turned around to face her mother. "I was just coming to save you but it seems you have it all covered." Lorelai said, smiling at her daughter's embarrassment.

"Jess is here." Rory replied.

"Yes, I've met him before. Or do you think I'm that old and blind I can't see two feet in front of me?" She grinned. "How are you, Jess?" Lorelai inquired, focusing her attention on the young man.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Excited, nervous and losing a battle against glue and paper."

Jess looked at her, confused but Rory clarified. "We were making the place markers. For the wedding."

"What she said. Luke wants to see you." Lorelai said, pointing her finger at Jess.

"Festive." He smirked, looking down at her finger. Lorelai looked as well and saw a piece of ribbon attached to it. She pulled it off, making a face.

"I thought I took the glue away from you." Rory laughed.

"I had an extra bottle."

"I'll finish them."

"Don't worry, they're almost done. Not much danger. You go take Jess to the diner. Make sure he sees Luke before he kills me because you know it will be my fault if he doesn't get there." She smiled knowingly at her daughter.

"Thank you." Rory returned the smile.

"Just be back before 7!"

"I will be, don't worry." She said, taking Jess' hand in hers.

"Nice seeing you, Lorelai." Jess mumbled and she flashed him a smile.

"You too. I'll see you tomorrow for lunch or something. And, Rory, no later than 7!"They nodded and Lorelai waved, going back inside the house. Rory and Jess turned around, heading for the diner, holding hands.

"Curfew?"

"The bachelorette party is tonight."

"Makes sense."

"Aren't you and Luke going out tonight as well?"

"We wouldn't be if it either one of us had a say in it, but TJ insisted, Liz phoned your mother and the rest is history, terminating in a very ranting phone call from Luke, sharing all these details with me and telling me he will personally kill me if I am not there."

"So you're spending the evening with TJ?"

"No, Luke is spending the evening with TJ and…someone else. He told me who, I forgot. I will be spending my night with a book, trying to ignore TJ's insights about the existence of laps and other such fascinating topics."

"You poor thing." She smiled, rubbing his arm gently. "And the other guy is Jackson. Sookie's husband." She explained, seeing his confused look.

"Great." He deadpanned. Rory hugged him closer, kissing his cheek.

"I missed you."

"What, the pizza guy isn't enough?" Jess smirked, kissing her temple.

"Not even close."

He stopped them and kissed her, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist. "I missed you too. Now get me out of this party tonight."

Rory laughed, starting walking again. "No way. I will enjoy seeing you get tortured. Or at least hear about it. And, no matter how hard I tried, there is no chance I could get you out of it. Besides Luke would hate you forever if you didn't show."

"A risk I'm willing to take. I don't like him that much right now."

"Still bitter about the whole having to wear a tux thing?"

"Very much so."

"If it's any consolation, I'm sure you will look great."

"I will look awkward. Exactly how I'll feel. It won't help that I will have to spend the night ducking the things that your grandmother will throw at me."

"She's too much of a lady to do that. She will just stare at you and then corner you when the party is over and make you suffer. And speaking of them, I have to know what you and grandpa talked about."

"Why?" He inquired.

"He loves you. Really. He actually said he is happy for us and he even volunteered to tell grandma. I don't know how I feel about not being the favorite anymore." She smiled playfully.

"I'm sure you still have that spot. And we just talked about books. That's it."

"Well, flaunting your inner nerd worked."

"One down, one I'll never win."

"Still better than having both of them against you."

Jess nodded and stopped walking, just outside the diner.

"Ready for this?" He asked, pointing his head in the direction of the door.

"Is there a big monster inside that I've not been told of?"

"Don't think so. But there will be a lot of staring and a lot of questions that you are going to have to answer because I am going upstairs as fast as I can."

"Be nice!" Rory warned him, giving him a quick kiss.

"Not for two more days. I'm saving all my niceness for the wedding."

"Fine." She sighed, taking his hand again. "Let's go before someone breaks his or her neck trying to get a better view through the windows." She smiled, looking inside the diner where everyone was staring at them from their chairs. Jess nodded and opened the door, taking a deep breath as they stepped inside.

Once inside, they walked to the counter, trying to ignore the looks and whispers. Luke rushed past them with two plates in his hands.

"Be right with you. Sit down!" He almost barked. Jess shrugged his shoulders and sat on a stool, with Rory next to him. A couple of minutes later Luke came back, pushing two mugs in front of them.

"Coffee?" Rory nodded enthusiastically and Jess shrugged again. The older man just filled the cups, putting the pot back in its place. "I don't have much time. It seems every single person in town decided to come here today!" He said the second sentence loud enough for the whole diner to hear.

"Well, you are closing for a week, honey." Miss Patty chimed from her chair. "We need to say goodbye properly."

"Yeah, Luke!" Kirk agreed from his chair and Luke shot him a glare. "Sorry…" The man mumbled, looking down at his plate quickly.

"Do you need any help, Luke?" Rory asked, smiling.

"I got it covered. As soon as Lane gets back from the store we can go upstairs for a few minutes and talk. Away from them!" He almost yelled, walking back around the counter with the pad in his hands, ready to pick up another order. Rory leaned closer to Jess and kissed his cheek.

"So far, so good." She whispered.

"These people needs to get lives. I feel like a monkey in a zoo." He whispered back, drinking from his cup.

"Hey, at least they're not throwing bananas at us."

"If only they would…then I could deal with the banana fiends Monty Python style."

Rory laughed, then kissed him, making the crowd whisper even louder. She rolled her eyes and turned around on her chair.

"Yes, it's true. Now can you please stop this? If you have anything to say, just say it out loud."

"We thought your mother was joking, sugar!" Babette chimed from her chair, and the other people nodded in approval.

"She wasn't. Anything else?"

"Well we figured that out by ourselves by now." Kirk said only to be shushed by Miss Patty.

"Don't ever attempt sarcasm again, Kirk. How does Lorelai feel about this?"

"Why don't you ask her?"

"How about Dean? Does he know?" Babette asked again.

"I don't know but I'm sure if he doesn't one of you will hurry up and inform him." She shot back, starting to get annoyed. Just then Luke walked back from the kitchen.

"Ok, stop it!" He heard some shushing and barked again. "I mean it. You two go upstairs." Jess and Rory nodded and headed up the stairs, clutching their mugs. Once they were in, Jess slammed the door.

"Privacy is a completely foreign concept for them." Rory took his hand and kissed him, trying to calm him down.

"They mean well."

"You're too nice. And what was that about Dean? How is he in any way relevant?"

"Maybe they're hoping for another basket bidding contest? I don't know. I will never understand their logic."

"If he doesn't know yet, can I be the one that tells him?" He asked, smirking.

"Gloat, revel and do an interpretative dance if you want. Just don't kill anyone."

"Make them mysteriously disappear?"

"Nope."

"You're no fun." Jess fake pouted and pinched her arm softly.

"Hey!" She yelped, rubbing her arm. "What was that for?"

"I told you I was taking a rain check. I just collected it." He smirked and Rory smiled back, moving her body close to his and running her fingers across his chest. She leaned over, and just before their lips met she moved, kissing his cheek instead.

"That's what you get for pinching me." Jess laughed and cupped her face, kissing her. They were interrupted by the door opening and Luke standing on the other side.

"At least you're not jumping around the room now. Take a seat." He pointed to the table.

"Where's April?" Rory asked, sitting down next to Jess.

"At a friend's house. She's spending the night there."

"So, you wanted to see me?" Jess asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Yeah. You're still coming tonight, aren't you?"

Jess nodded.

"And sleeping here?"

"Yep. Liz's house is…well, Liz's house. I won't deal with them more then I have to."

"Jess…" Luke warned, sighing. "She's your mother."

"Don't go there, Luke."

Luke nodded, sighing again. "That was it. Just had to make sure you weren't going to miss the party."

"Sheesh, Lorelai made it sound like it was some sort of national emergency."

"She's in wedding mode. Everything is an emergency." Rory tried to explain.

"So, I'd love to stay and chat but the angry hordes are waiting and Lane will kill me."

The young couple nodded and Luke headed downstairs, sighing as he closed the door.

"Are we staying here or going somewhere else?" Rory asked.

"And face the madness again? I am considering never going out again."

"Fine by me." She smiled, running her hand through his hair and kissing him.


	12. Bachelor! Bachelorette!

**A/N: Here you go, darlings, chapter 12. Special thanks go to live4ska, for the beta and to those of you that review. It's exam time, keep 'em coming. :) Enjoy!  
**

* * *

**Bachelor! Bachelorette!**

Later that night, Lorelai and Rory walked into KC's, finding Sookie, Michel, Lane, Miss Patty, Babette and even Emily sitting at a table, waiting for them. Despite her initial reluctance over inviting her mother, Lorelai had finally agreed to have Emily there and she was happy with her decision, hoping a night out would help defuse the situation between her and Rory.

"Sorry we're late, it's her fault!" Lorelai quipped, sitting down at a table and pointing at her daughter.

"Hey!" Rory protested, picking up a menu.

"I'm the bachelorette, it's my party, I get to blame you!"

"You do realize that starting next week you won't be able to use that excuse, right?" Sookie chimed in, signaling for the waitress.

"All the more reasons to enjoy it now!"

"You are actually getting married this time, right honey? 'Cause running away would just break poor Luke's heart…"

"Yes, Patty." Lorelai sighed before continuing. "Saturday morning I am going to be walking down that aisle, come hell, high water or an attack by a giant gorilla!"

* * *

On the other side of town, in a rundown looking bar, Jess was sitting at a table reading, while Luke was watching him, smirking, amused by TJ's insistence.

"Come on, Jess!"

"No."

"Please?" He tried to beg.

"No." Jess replied again, not even looking up from his book.

"One game!"

"No."

"It will only take 5 minutes."

"No."

"Less than 5 minutes."

Jess sighed, putting his book down, and looking at Luke, hoping for help only to find him grinning.

"TJ, for the last time, I will not play foosball with you. Now why don't you go ask Luke? It's his party anyway, I'm sure he'd love to play with you!" He replied, smirking at his uncle.

"But I want to play against you!" TJ sighed stubbornly and Jess picked up his book again, getting ready for a long night.

**

* * *

**

Babette finished her drink and put her glass down, nudging Patty. The red haired woman looked at her confused and they both mumbled for a few seconds, before turning their attention back to Rory. The blonde woman was the first to speak.

"Sugar, we wanted to apologize for what we said earlier. In the diner, I mean. We didn't want to make you angry."

Patty nodded. "We're just worried about you. We don't want to see you get hurt again."

"I know. Thank you, but we have it all covered."

"What's this about?" Emily chimed in from the other end of the table.

"Nothing, grandma." Rory shot back, sipping from her drink.

"Nonsense. I want to know what this conversation is about. Or have you never been told that it's rude to discuss private matters in public, especially if it means you're going to ignore the other people around you."

"I hardly think I was ignoring you."

"Well, you were."

Lorelai smiled at the two. "Be nice. Wouldn't want to spoil my party, now would we?" Rory nodded then looked back at her grandmother.

"It was about Jess. Now can you imagine why I didn't want to tell you what it was about?"

Babette and Miss Patty looked at each other, moving as close as they could, trying not to miss any piece of the conversation. East Side Tilly had no idea what she was missing!

"I can't believe…"

"Grandma!" Rory cut her off before she could finish her sentence. "Let's focus on mom's party, ok? You wouldn't want to be rude and disrupt it with our personal business, would you?"

Emily nodded and smiled coldly. "I apologize, Lorelai."

"It's fine, mom. Now who's up for karaoke?" She asked, grinning.

**

* * *

**

After finally relenting on Jess, TJ had managed to convince Jackson to play foosball, leaving the young man and Luke together at the table, drinking quietly. Jess had even gone as far as to put his book back in his pocket.

"Why are we here again?" He asked Luke.

"TJ."

"Killing him has never occurred to you?"

"Daily. But your mom likes him and he's a good father to Doula."

"Huh."

"That all you have to say?"

"Am I supposed to say more? Hey, at least he hasn't run away with the TV in the middle of the night…yet. Although, I suppose he might be too stupid to figure out how to unplug it."

"Jess…!" Luke warned him that he was getting close to crossing a line.

"What? I don't have to like him. Whatever Liz does is her problem, as long as they stop insisting that we have to bond. I'm too old to get a new daddy."

"Why do you hate her so much?" Luke sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't hate her. I just don't like her. There's a difference."

"Fine, then, why don't you like her?"

Jess drank from his bottle, trying to figure a way to change the subject. "This isn't the time to go into any of this. Enjoy your party before Lorelai and Rory kill me for ruining it for you and let's get out of here as soon as we can, before TJ decides we need to go hit a strip club, because that's where I will leave you on your own. Once was more than enough."

"Fine." Luke conceded, finishing his drink. "I'll go get us more beer."

Jess shook his head. "Stay here. I'll go." He walked up to the bar and got ready to order when he saw another man standing there, looking at him, surprised.

"Oh, fucking great."

* * *

"Mom, that was great!" Rory congratulated her mother, rubbing her shoulder lovingly.

"Yes, Lorelai." Michel agreed.

"Well, it was no _I will always love you_ but it was good enough for tonight. Who's next? Mom, want to give it a try?" She asked Emily, grinning.

"I think I'll pass. But you did a really good job. You have a lovely voice."

"Thank you!" She bowed down, flagging down the waitress and asking for another round. "Michel, how about you?"

"Oh, no, I am a dancer, not a singer."

"Aw, go on guys! I know you are intimidated by my amazing skills but someone has to step up!"

Miss Patty laughed. "I'll go, doll. Wouldn't want our bride to feel bad tonight, would we?" She smiled, heading towards the stage. When the first notes of the song started playing, she looked at Lorelai and smiled again.

"Honey, if the title of this song doesn't describe you and Luke, nothing ever will. May your life together be long and happy." She finished her sentence and started singing to the lyrics of "At last".

Lorelai whipped a tear from the corner of her eye as the song played, grinning madly. She looked at her mother, trying to keep her calm.

"Mom…you remember how six years ago, we were all sitting in a bar, much like this only with men dressed as women walking among us, and you told us how every night for a week before your wedding to dad you'd sneak in and try on your wedding dress and feel safe and wise?"

Emily nodded, keeping her composure as well as she could.

"I've been trying on my wedding dress all week." Lorelai whispered, looking her mother straight in the eyes, while everyone was suddenly trying to choke back stray tears. "Now I understand what you were trying to say." Emily smiled at her daughter.

"I know I haven't always been supportive of your relationship…but if he makes you happy, Lorelai, then I am happy for you. Both of you."

"Thank you." Lorelai whispered, whipping her eyes quickly again.

* * *

"What the hell are you doing here?" The tall man asked, looking at Jess.

"How is that any of your business?"

"Just making conversation."

"Well, don't."

"Does Rory know you're in town?"

"What part of 'don't' didn't you understand, bag boy?"

"Hey, just being friendly." He lifted his hands up, mimicking surrender. "But if you're still bitter about what happened then I suppose we can talk about something else."

Jess smirked, ordering two beers from the bartender. "Yes, I cry in my pillow every night. Of course, I might cry in Rory's arms tonight, seeing as we're back together."

"You're what?"

"You're behind the times, Dean." He spat out his name. "What kind of proper small town boy are you if you don't keep up with the news? Or what, none of the other guys at the pig races bothered to tell you?"

"I don't believe you."

"I could get her on the phone to tell you herself, but she's at Lorelai's bachelorette party and I don't want to bother her. But I'm sure we can swing by the barn tomorrow if you need proof."

Dean looked at him, smugly. "I suppose she hasn't told you that we dated after you left?"

"Actually, she has. But if you want to fool yourself thinking that I care, go right ahead. Whatever makes you happy." He picked up the two beers and handed the bartender a couple of bills. "Now if you'll excuse me, Luke is waiting for me. But if you need any help understanding any of the big words, I'll be right over there, ok?" He turned around and walked back to his table, handing Luke one of the bottles and keeping one for himself.

"They're still playing?" He asked, smirking and looking around for TJ and Jackson.

"Yep." Luke took one sip from his beer then looked at his nephew. "You seem in a better mood."

"I had a bit of fun at the bar."

"What happened?"

"Dean."

"You didn't punch him, did you?"

"Not yet. Give him some time to process everything and he might drop by." He replied, still smirking.

"To process what?"

"He didn't know that Rory and I are back together."

"Ah. Don't start a fight, Jess. Not tonight."

"Don't worry, I have no intentions of fighting with him. Are you really worried about me or what Lorelai would do to you if I appeared at the wedding with a black eye?"

"I'm worried what Rory would do to you if you got a black eye."

"Even them out, you think?"

Luke chuckled, drinking a bit more. "Probably. Anyway, I'm sure Emily would love it. Don't give her more ammo then she already has."

"How do you do it? Deal with Emily?"

"Why do you want to know? Are things between you and Rory serious?"

"Getting there." Jess answered, suddenly paying more attention to the conversation.

"The key with Emily is to be nice, polite, say as little as you can so she has nothing to pick on and, preferable, let someone else do all the talking. Lorelai and Rory are good at it. They have practice."

"So, what you're trying to say is hide?"

"Pretty much." Luke replied, laughing again. "But Jess?"

"What?"

"I'm glad things are working out for you guys. You've both grown-up a lot since last time. Just…be careful."

"So I don't hurt her?"

"So you don't get hurt." Luke said, putting a hand on Jess' shoulder and smiling reassuringly at him. Jess smiled back, picking up his bottle.

"Thanks."

* * *

Rory snuck outside, pulling out her phone and dialing Jess' number.

"_Hey. Give me two seconds." _He heard his voice obscured by the music. _"Ok, I'm outside."_

"Hey."

"_Hey."_

"You said that before."

"_You said you weren't going to call tonight."_ He countered, smirking at the other end of the line.

"I…"

"_I'm happy you called"_ He told her_." How's it going over there?"_

Rory smiled, wrapping her coat tighter around herself. "It's fun. Mom, Babette and Miss Patty are taking turns at the karaoke machine, Lane is loving her night out without the boys, even Michel is being nice. It's just a lot of girlish fun. Are you at least trying to enjoy yourself?"

"_I'm squinting so I can read. Does that count as trying?"_

"Jess…"

"_I've been talking to Luke. TJ and Jackson are playing foosball. It's all good. By the way, I ran into Dean."_

"And?"

"_And nothing."_

"Really?"

"_I might have annoyed him a little. He's a big boy, I'm sure he can handle it."_

"You didn't get into a fight, did you?"

"_Nope. I'm being good."_

"Thank you."

"_You owe me."_

"I know. Just remember you're not only this for me, you're also doing it for Luke. And it will win you even more points with mom."

"_Speaking of Lorelai, don't you have to go be with her?"_

"Trying to get rid of me?" She asked, laughing.

"_Yes, I want to go challenge TJ to a game of beer pong"_ He replied, mockingly. _"But it's her party, you should be in there with her."_

"She's back to karaoke."

"_How much has she had to drink?"_

"We lost count. But I think I'd better go back."

"_Go. I promise I'll be nice for the rest of the evening."_

"Even if you see Dean again?"

"_Even if."_

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow."

"_Come by the diner. There might be breakfast involved. And coffee to cure the hangover. If not yours, Lorelai's for sure."_

"Isn't the diner closed tomorrow?"

"_Just come, ok?"_

"I will. Jess…?"

"_Yeah?"_

"You make me happy." She said smiling. "Bye." With that she turned off the phone quickly, leaving him grinning foolishly in front of a rundown bar, somewhere in Stars Hollow.


	13. Are we back in high school?

**A/N: This was fast, right? Not too fond of this chapter but I wanted to get it out of the way so I can focus on the wedding and after writing 3 different versions for it, I just can't look at it any longer. Criticism? Encouragement? Thanks go to those that read, review and to the amazing live4ska for taking the time to beta this. You're all great. Enjoy!**

**

* * *

****Are we back in high school? **

Later that night, Rory took a very tired and tipsy Lorelai to her room and pulled the covers over her, kissing her forehead slowly while Lorelai drifted to sleep. She closed the door to the bedroom slowly and walked back down the stairs, trying hard to keep her balance and cursing her great idea to wear heels on a night that she knew was going to involve drinking. Finally getting at the bottom of the stairs she crashed on the couch and took the offending shoes off, throwing them in the general direction of the fireplace, hoping she wouldn't trip on them the next morning. Sighing heavily she walked to her room and, turning on the bedside lamp, she lied down on the bed, kicking the covers to the side and trying to decide if she had enough energy to change or if sleeping in her dress would do for the night. Before she could decide anything, she heard two light taps on the window. Smiling, she got out of bed and walked to the window, opening it.

"We're not in high school anymore, Jess. You can use the door."

He jumped through the window and closed it behind him.

"At almost 2 in the morning? I don't think so. Plus it's always more fun this way."

"Mom's asleep." Rory replied, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him.

"And my spidey-senses were supposed to tell me that?" Jess asked, his normal smirk on his lips.

"Guess not." She giggled. "I'm sorry, I don't make much sense when I'm tired."

"You don't make much sense when you're not tired, either." He teased, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Hey! I resent that." Rory tried to sound angry but ended grinning. "What are you doing here, anyway? Did you just come to make fun of me?"

"Luke snores. I need my beauty sleep."

"That's the only reason?"

"Were you expecting something else?" Jess asked, still smirking. "I can go if you want me to."

"Stay." She placed a small kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Wouldn't want you turning into the beast."

"So you're only with me for my good looks?"

"Pretty much, yeah." She laughed and Jess started trailing kisses down her jaw and neck.

"Only reason?" He asked, his hands playing in her hair.

"If you don't want to tell me why you're here, I don't have to tell you why I keep you around." Rory replied pulling back and smiling.

"I already told you why I'm here."

"I don't buy it. You've never had a problem sleeping in the same room as Luke before."

"Huh."

"That's your answer?"

"Well, you see, to bargain you need to have something I want. And I don't need to know why you're with me, as long as you're with me."

Rory swatted his arm playfully. "You're very lucky I'm too tired to argue with you right now."

"Let's get you to bed then, Cinderella." He smiled, taking her hand and walking towards the small bed.

"Cinderella?"

"You don't have any shoes on. But I have to warn you, I might fight with the prince that finds them."

"They're somewhere around the living room so unless Paul Anka counts as a prince, there won't be any need for that." She lay down on the bed, taking his hand and pulling him down with her. Jess lied down next to her and she rested her head on his chest, while he wrapped his arm around her.

"You're going to sleep like that?"

"Too lazy to change."

"Too bad. I was hoping for a show." He laughed, kissing the top of her head.

"I think you've just revealed the real reason why you're here."

"Not even close. Get some sleep."

"I'm glad you came, no matter what reason." She said, pulling the covers over them and Jess just kissed her again.

"Good night, Jess…"

"'Night."

She flipped around and he followed, still holding his arm around her.

"Ror?" He whispered a few minutes later, trying to see if she was asleep.

"Hm?" She mumbled back.

"I came because I like sleeping next to you."

Instead of replying she just squeezed his hand, smiling before going to sleep.

* * *

The next morning she woke up only to find her bed empty. Grumbling, she got out of bed and walked into the kitchen, coffee ready in the machine. A note next to it with her name written on it, in a familiar handwriting, made her smile. She picked it up and opened it.

_Had to go before Luke woke up, didn't find me there, and had a heart attack. Being responsible for the groom's death the day before the wedding would make me unpopular. _

_Jess _

Putting the note in her room, where her mother wouldn't see it, she headed for the shower. Some time later, she walked back into the kitchen and poured herself some coffee, picking up a book from her bag and sat down at the table, reading and waiting for her mother.

Almost an hour and a new batch of coffee later, Lorelai walked into the room and promptly sat down on a chair, her head falling on the table.

"Ugh."

"Aspirin?" Rory asked, getting up.

"And coffee."

Smiling, she picked up a mug and filled it coffee, then set it on the table, getting some aspirin and a glass of water next and placing them next to it.

"Here you go." She said, sitting back down on her chair.

Lorelai lifted her head and swallowed the small pills, then resumed her position.

"I am never drinking again."

"Really?"

"Until next time, anyway." Lorelai laughed, sipping from her mug.

"Good plan. You do realize that you have less than 2 hours until the last 24 begin, so if you want to see Luke as planned you need to hurry up?"

"Ugh." Lorelai groaned again, finishing her coffee in one gulp, then left the room.

Almost an hour later, the girls were walking down the street, hurrying towards the diner.

"So, what time did Jess leave this morning?" Lorelai asked, smiling mischievously at her daughter.

"Huh? He didn't…wasn't…" Rory tried to avoid the question, but ended up blushing furiously.

"Oh, convincing."

"How did you know?"

"I came downstairs for water last night and heard voices. So it was either you pulling a _Psycho_ or your boyfriend decided to pay you a late night visit."

"Are you mad?"

"Mad? No. Amused and planning on using this for mocking purposes for many years? Definitely. But I thought you guys weren't…you know."

"Weren't what?" Rory asked confused before she realized what her mother meant. "Oh, that. We're not."

"So what…he was trying to be Emily to your Brandon?"

Rory laughed. "Nope. We're just trying to spend as much time together as possible before we both have to leave again. And for the record, I cannot believe you just referenced the original _90210_."

"What can I say…ever since you left, the quality of my references has severely dropped. Luke doesn't appreciate them anyway. You have to move back!" She finished her sentence, grinning and looked at her daughter.

"I have to quit my job just so you don't make any more sucky references?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Please?"

"No. You're on your own."

"Fine…but I'm blaming you if I start referencing soaps next."

"Fair enough." Rory said, opening the door and walking in the empty and dark diner, the only sound being that of food cooking.

"Dearest future husband who's hangover better be worse than mine!" Lorelai announced, looking around her.

"Upstairs." Jess said from the kitchen.

"Thank you, Romeo!" She quipped, heading up the stairs and Rory walked in the small kitchen, wrapping her arms around her boyfriend's waist and kissing his shoulder, while he continued to focus his attention on the stove.

"Romeo?" Jess asked, confused.

"She heard us last night. Just be thankful she isn't calling you Emily."

"Do I have any chance of getting that one? Or does she think I'm your grandmother?"

"How big where you on Beverly Hills?"

"Not a huge fan, oddly enough."

"Then don't bother."

Putting down the spatula and turning off the stove, he turned around and cupped her face in his hands, kissing her.

"Hey."

"Hey." Rory replied, kissing him back and clutching his shirt in her hands. "Thank you for the coffee."

"Sorry I left so early."

"It's ok." She kissed him again. They heard footsteps going down the stairs and stepped out of the kitchen to find Luke and Lorelai walking in the diner as well.

"He said you're making breakfast." Lorelai said, pointing at a tired looking Luke.

"I did. Hungry?"

The girls nodded simultaneously and he smirked, letting go of Rory's hand.

"Sit down. I'll bring the food."

"Can I help?" Rory asked.

"You can get the coffee."

"Oh…I'm in charge of the magical coffee pot?"

"Not if you're going to call it magical, you're not."

"But it is."

"It's not. It's a coffee pot."

"Oh, for the love of all things, could you stop being cute and bring me food? Not all of us are 23 and still completely functional after a night of drinking!" Lorelai exclaimed, collapsing on a chair.

The younger couple laughed and walked towards the kitchen, picking up various plates and pans.

As soon as breakfast was over, Rory looked at her watch.

"Mom, you have 15 minutes left." Turning her attention to Jess, she got up and took his hand. "Let's give them some time alone, ok?" He nodded and got up as well. "If you're not done by half past, I'm calling grandma and telling her you want to spend today with her." She threatened her mother, walking out the door with Jess right behind her.

"You're getting meaner and bossier with every single day!" Lorelai managed to say before the two left. As soon as they were out, they headed for the small alley behind the diner and Jess wrapped his arms around her waist, backing them against a wall, attacking her mouth with his.

"You look…very nice…today." He managed to whisper between kisses, his fingers playing with the hem of her shirt, under her coat.

"Thank you." She replied, her hands tangled in his hair.

When he finally pulled back for a few seconds, she took a deep breath and smiled, trying to wipe a smudge of lipstick of his lips.

"What are your plans for the day?"

"Read. Avoid people."

"Sounds good." She finished her sentence and kissed him again.

"You?"

"Going to Hartford with mom and Sookie for mani/pedi trip and lunch, then do some shopping, come home, see if there's anything left to do for tomorrow, and yes, I do have a list, then have mom's last official movie night as a single woman and head to bed early, hopefully."

"Busy."

"Especially when you consider that our going to bed will mean a lot of trips from one bedroom to the other to squeal over the fact that it's actually happening this time."

"So I shouldn't come back tonight?"

"I'd love for you to come but…no. Unless you want to be part of our girly wedding madness." She said, placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth.

"I'll pass." Jess said then crushed his mouth to hers again. They continued like that until they heard some steps behind them, which made them jump very far apart. Rory looked at her watch.

"You still have almost 8 minute…" She started saying before she looked up. "Oh." Finally realizing it wasn't her mother, she took Jess hand. "Hi, Dean."

"Great." Jess mumbled and Rory squeezed his hand.

"So he wasn't lying last night?" Dean asked, looking at the two of them.

"Obviously not, bag boy. I do have better things to do with my time." Jess spat.

"Jess…" Rory tried to calm him down.

"You know, Rory, I never thought you'd go back to him. Not after everything he did to you."

"Dean, who I date is none of your business. None of this is any of your business."

"Hey, I'm just concerned." He lifted his hand in the air.

"Don't be. We've got it." Jess said, wrapping his arm around Rory's waist.

"Really? How long are you going to be around this time, Jess? A month? Six?" Dean shot back.

Rory could feel him tense next to him so she stepped between the two men. "Enough! Just be a grown-up for a while and leave us alone, ok?"

"You heard her, Dean. Scram!"

"When he leaves you, don't come running back to me, Rory." He said, walking away, leaving Jess and Rory looking at each other before they started laughing uncontrollably.

"He hasn't changed, has he?" Jess asked, when they managed to stop.

"Guess not." She replied, looking at her watch. "I should go look for mom. She's 2 minutes late."

"Ok." He nodded, kissing her while running his thumb over her cheekbone, his hand cupping her face. "Just one more thing…"

"What is it?" She asked him, kissing him quickly.

"Sneaking around, pleasant chats with your ex-boyfriend, making out in an alley…" He whispered the last sentence, placing a soft kiss on her neck. "Are you sure we're not back in high school?"


	14. Ice front and enough food to feed

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I'm still not done with exams. Just 4 more days and then I can focus on writing. Thanks go to live4ska for the beta and to those that review. As well as virtual cookies. And virtual coffee. **

* * *

**Ice front and enough food to feed three armies**

"This is really happening!"

The next morning, Lorelai and Rory were upstairs in one of the rooms at the inn, getting ready for the big event. Rory was trying to finish Lorelai's make-up and at the same time stop her from fidgeting.

"At least we're not in Boston again this time. That's a good first step."

"Hey!" Lorelai protested, and Rory put her hands on her shoulders.

"Settle or you'll end up with a huge smudge of mascara on your face. Plus you said last night that I get three run-away bride jokes. That was number one."

"I didn't think you'd do it. You're mean to me, your mother! Ah, I'm hurt and wounded!" She announced dramatically, clutching her chest.

"What did I say about sitting still?"

"Fine." Lorelai grumbled, reaching for the cup of coffee. "Three minute coffee break?"

"Sure." Rory sat back on the desk, picking up her mug.

"So, where is everyone?"

"Sookie is still in the kitchen and grandma called and said they're stuck in traffic but should be here in 10 minutes at most. The photographer is on her way as well. Anyone else?"

"Michel?"

"Downstairs, getting ready to point people in the right direction and being generally grumpy."

"So, nothing out of the ordinary?"

"Nope."

"And…is Luke here?"

"I don't know. He should be."

"You don't think he…never mind."

"Mom…what is it?" Rory asked, putting her cup down and looking at her mother.

"You don't think he changed his mind, do you? I mean…why would anyone ever want to marry me? Why would Luke want to marry me? He can't stand the way I eat, I talk too fast, I can be annoying, I steal blankets at night…"

"Stop. Luke loves you and he hasn't changed his mind. If anything, I bet he's pacing around the room right now wondering why you're marrying him. But if it will make you feel better, I can go see if he's here and how he's doing, ok?"

Lorelai nodded, sipping from her coffee. "Will you?"

"Sure. Are you ok finishing here by yourself?"

"Yeah. Can you call the photographer again and make sure she gets here soon so I can get some pictures before I put on the dress as well?"

"Will do. Anything else?"

"Convince Sookie to get out of the kitchen?" Lorelai laughed.

"Like I could ever do that. I will try, though."

"Thank you."

"Anything you want today." Rory finished her sentence and walked out of the room. She started walking towards the stairs but saw Jess standing in the hallway, leaning against a wall reading and stopped in front of him.

"Hey."

He lowered his hand, closing the book in the process and cupping her face in his other hand and kissing her softly. "Hey."

"You look nice." She said, running her fingers across his jaw. "Really nice." She whispered in his ear.

Leaning over, Jess placed a kiss on her neck. "Are you flirting with me?"

"Shamelessly." She crushed her mouth to his, while her hand played with his hair. When she moved back, she smiled at him. "Do you mind?" She asked, her usual timidity taking hold of her again.

"Quite the opposite actually." He wrapped his arm tighter around her waist and pulled her in for another kiss.

They heard steps coming up the stairs and quickly pulled apart, Rory fixing his collar that had been rumpled in the process. He whispered a quick 'Thank you' before turning around to see Emily coming towards them. His shoulders tensed and she took his hand in his, trying to reassure both of them.

"Hey, grandma."

"Hello, Mrs. Gilmore."

"Rory…Jess." She stated coldly, looking the young man up and down. "Michel told me to come up."

"Yeah, mom's in room 12. You can go in."

"You're not coming?"

"I need to call the photographer again and find Sookie."

"Fine. I'll see you later then." Emily said, walking away quickly.

"She really doesn't like me." Jess said as soon as she was inside the room.

"Nope. And we're still in a fight so the ice front was for both of us."

"Charming."

"Ok, before you distract me again…" She said, smiling. "I need to know if Luke is here."

"Yep. Him and April came by twenty minutes ago."

"Then when did you get here?" Rory asked, confused.

"I spent the night here. There isn't room for 3 in Luke's flat."

"Really? Why didn't I know this?"

"I thought Lorelai told you. After all, she arranged it."

"Must have slipped her mind. Anyway, why aren't you with Luke right now?"

"You think he needs my help getting dressed?" He returned her question smirking.

"Probably not. How is he?"

"Nervous but otherwise fine. Lorelai?"

"Panicking that he changed his mind."

"You can go back and tell her he hasn't. If anything, he's probably panicking right now that she's changed her mind." Jess said.

"Synchronized panicking…should be in the next Olympics."

"That and dodging Emily Gilmore."

"You'd win at that. Do you have any idea where April is?" Rory replied, looking around her.

"Probably downstairs."

"I should go find her. See if she needs anything."

"She had a pile of books with her. Seemed fine to me."

"I'll go check anyway. Go see how Luke is."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes." She answered, kissing him softly. "I'll see you later. And remember to keep him in that room until I say it's ok."

"Anything else?"

She stepped back next to him and kissed him quickly. "You should wear a tux more often." With that she headed back down the hallway but before she could reach the room, Jess' voice stopped her.

"Stairs are the other way."

She turned around and smiled at him. "I know. I just have to tell mom that Luke is here and she doesn't need to breathe in a paper bag any longer."

"Is it that bad?"

"Not yet. Leave her in there alone with grandma for 10 minutes and it will be. Now go to Luke! Go!"

"Lorelai was right…you are bossy." He smirked and knocked at the door, opening it and Rory walked back in her mother's room. Lorelai and Emily both turned around when they saw her, interrupted from their conversation.

"Luke is here, he's fine, just nervous. I'll go do the other stuff now."

"Thank you!" Lorelai smiled, suddenly relaxing in her chair and picking up her make-up kit from the table again.

Rory walked downstairs, running into Michel who was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Michel, hey! Has anyone arrived yet?"

"Just your grandparents."

"No sign of Bobbie?"

"Not yet."

"When she comes, can you please tell her to go to mom's room?" She asked, smiling.

"Oh, the photographer should go take pictures of the bride? Really Rory? Thank you for informing me. I would have sent her to take pictures of the trees if you had not told me."

"I didn't mean to imply that you didn't…" She started saying but he cut her off again.

"I have helped with weddings before, you do realize that? I am not some incompetent child that needs to be reminded of his duties."

"Michel, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

He just snorted and walked outside, leaving Rory sighing in the hallway. The day was just getting crazier with every single passing moment.

Spotting April sitting on a chair in a corner, where the reception desk usually stood, she walked towards her.

"Hey, April!"

"Oh, hey Rory." The younger girl replied, closing her book.

"Are you ok? Do you need anything? Do you want to come upstairs and help us get mom ready?"

"Um…do I have to? I'm ok here and this is a really good book." She lifted the book, shrugging her shoulders.

"No, if you don't want to come it's fine. I just don't want you to get bored, that's all. Or you can go to room…um…6. I think that's yours."

"I'm good here but tell you what…if I get bored, I'll come up there, deal?"

"Deal. Sorry, I have a million things to do…"

"Yeah, sure, go. I'll be fine." April reassured her again, opening her book and Rory stepped away, pulling out her cell phone and started dialing the photographer's number, only to see the young woman walking inside.

"Sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare."

"It's fine. Mom's upstairs, room…"

"12. Yeah, Michel told me."

"Are you ready now? She's should really get dressed soon and she wants pictures."

Pulling out her camera, the blond woman smiled and headed up the stairs. Sighing again, Rory hurried to the kitchen but stopped when she saw her grandfather sitting in one of the chairs set up for the reception in the dining room.

""Hey, grandpa." She said, giving him a quick hug. "Why are you sitting here, all alone?"

"Well, Emily is with your mother, as I'm sure you know, and I didn't want to be in their way."

"You can go upstairs if you want. You and grandma are in room 8 for the night. It's empty right now. Keys are on the nightstand. Or if you want stay here, I'm sure Luke and Jess should be here any minute to keep you company. Jess was ready and I think Luke is dressed as well by now. I can go nudge them and tell them to hurry up or something."

Richard smiled at his granddaughter's rant. "Rory, have you taken a break all morning?"

She nodded. "A few minutes ago."

"Promise?"

"Yep. Jess is keeping me sane."

"I'll have to remember to thank him later for that. Now go do whatever else you have left to do. I assure you I can entertain myself."

"Ok. But if you need anything…?"

"I'll come find you."

"Ok." She hugged him again quickly and hurried to the kitchen, only to find Sookie chopping things.

"Sookie! Why are you in here?"

"Well, you see, I remembered I had some tomatoes left and decided to make some roses out of them, and I was already here so I thought I should make some more platters just in case there weren't enough and…"

"Sookie…" Rory said, putting her hands on the woman's shoulders and directing her away from the counter. "We have enough food to feed not one army, but five. Everything will be fine. Now, mom wants to see you so let's get you out of the kitchen. This way you'll actually have time to change before the wedding and not walk down that aisle in jeans."

"But…"

"Sookie?"

"Ok." The woman sighed, putting the knife down and whipping her hands on her apron. "You're getting more and more like your mother with every single day."

"Thank you." Rory smiled and the two headed up the stairs, to Lorelai's room. The second they stepped inside, Bobbie grabbed them.

"Oh, good, you're here. Pictures!"

Some time later, all the women were dressed and sitting on chairs and the bed, taking a break from all the pictures. Rory looked at Emily and Sookie.

"Can I get 5 minutes alone with mom?" The two nodded and headed outside, closing the door behind them. Rory got up and walked to her mother, sitting on the chair next to hers.

"Don't say anything that will make me cry. We don't have time to redo my make-up." Lorelai threatened playfully, pointing her index finger at her daughter.

"Well, I do have a speech planned, but I'm saving that for my toast. I just wanted to tell you again how happy am I for you. Luke is a great guy and I'm sure he'll make you as happy as you deserve to be. Good?"

Lorelai wiped a quick tear away. "Good. And thank you."

Rory hugged her mother, rubbing her back lovingly. "And if you decide to run, Cletus and Desdemona are in the stables."

Lorelai laughed, letting go of her daughter. "That's two."

"I know." Rory smiled, looking at the clock on the wall. "So…have you decided anything about that thing we talked about last night?"

Lorelai nodded. "You don't think it's too late to ask him now, is it?"

"Nope. I can go get him."

"Could you?"

"Yep. I'll just tell him to come in, is that ok?"

"Yeah, it's fine. Thank you. For all you've done today."

"Hey, this is hopefully your last ever wedding so I'm just doing my best." Rory said quickly ducking and leaving the room. Outside the room, Sookie and Emily were chatting with Richard and April. She smiled when she saw the older man.

"Grandpa? Mom wants to see you for a second."

He got up and walked to the room, knocking softly while opening the door, leaving the women outside. He took a couple of steps inside the room and then saw his daughter standing in front of the window, looking outside.

"Lorelai?"

She walked up to him, smiling. "Hey, dad."

"You look…you're beautiful." He said, trying to contain his emotions and finding it very hard for the first time in a long time.

"Thank you." She blushed, looking down at her feet.

"Rory said you wanted to see me?"

"Um, yeah…I know we haven't talked about this and that we've had our differences in the past and you can say 'no' if you want but…would you walk me down the aisle? Please?" Lorelai asked, half rambling, trying to choke down tears.

"You mean that?"

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.

"I'd be honored to."

Without really thinking about it, she hugged him tightly, wrapping her arms around him as well as she could. "Thank you, dad."

Richard hugged her back, awkwardly at first then easing into it. When she finally let go, he smiled at her.

"So, are you ready to do this?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Let's go then."


	15. Let's go, Maggie Carpenter!

**A/N: The wedding is finally happening. As well as other exciting things. To celebrate that, this chapter is longer then usual. Thank you for the reviews and I promise I'll update more often now that exams are over. As always, enjoy and tell me what you think, ok?  
**

**

* * *

**

**Let's go, Maggie Carpenter! **

Richard stepped outside and walked to Rory.

"Can you go tell Michel he should gather everyone?"

She nodded, hurrying down the stairs and looking for Michel. When she saw him, she headed his way.

"Michel, do you know where Jess is?"

"Oh, now when you need something I am suddenly useful?"

"I never said you weren't useful. This day would be a nightmare without you here." She smiled, trying to pacify the man.

"He's over there." He pointed to the front door and she quickly stepped outside. Finally spotting him, she went to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"We're good to go. Is Luke ready?"

He turned around. "He's been downstairs pacing every since you allowed him out of my room. I really have to do this, right?" He asked, sighing.

"Yes."

"Fine." Jess grumbled, placing a quick kiss on her lips before they headed inside. Rory walked to Michel.

"Can you tell everyone we're ready to start?"

He nodded, heading to the other room with a sarcastic smile, ready to resume his duties. The two headed upstairs, stopping when they reached the others. Emily got up, smiling coldly.

"I have to go find my seat."

Everyone else nodded and Rory went to her mother's room, knocking softly.

"Mom…you ready?"

Lorelai opened the door, finally stepping outside the room for the first time that morning. Her long, wavy brown hair was falling freely on her back, covering the top of the lace cap sleeves. She spun around on her heels, holding her dress up with her hands.

"How do I look?"

Rory stepped up, letting go of Jess' hand and wiping her eyes quickly and gave her mother a hug. "You look fantastic. Ready to get married?"

Lorelai nodded.

"Let's go then, Maggie Carpenter!"

She finished her sentence with a smile and ran to the top of the stairs, giving Michel the go ahead sign. As soon as the music started playing, they all looked at each other and headed to the top of the stairs. April started going down first, then walked down to where her father was standing, taking her place on his side. Sookie followed, standing to the left side of the small improvised arcade. Before going down the stairs, Rory looked at her mother one last time.

"I'm so happy for you."

And with that, she slipped her arm around Jess' and the two headed down the stairs. Before they reached the last step, he leaned over and whispered "You look incredible in that dress.". Rory's smile grew bigger and she squeezed his hand, heading down the aisle and settling in their places. The music changed to the accords of 'Here comes the bride' and Lorelai, holding tightly to Richard's arm. While she was making her way down the aisle, her eyes never left Luke's, both of them grinning madly, completely forgetting for a few seconds that there were other people around them. When she reached the end, she let go of her father's arm and he kissed her cheek, shaking Luke's hand then going and sitting down in his chair, the emotions of the day finally getting to him.

Rev. Skinner smiled at the small group of people.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to finally celebrate the union of this man and this woman…"

"…I, Luke, take you, Lorelai, to be my wife, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

"I, Lorelai, take you, Luke, to be my husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The revered finished the ceremony.

Luke wrapped his arms around Lorelai's waist, both of them still smiling madly as they shared their first official kiss.

"Time to party!" Lorelai announced, heading for the dining room as everyone else got up from their seats and followed. Rory hugged her mother and Luke, while Jess stood by, watching them.

"Congratulations, guys."

"Thank you. We have to go take pictures but we'll be back fast, ok?"

Rory nodded and then looked at the two of them headed outside with the photographer after them. She walked up to Jess, looking around them and saw that most of the people were in the dining room, chatting and ignoring them so she kissed him quickly and then rested her head on his shoulder. Jess wrapped his arm around her waist affectionately, kissing the top of her head.

"I can't believe they're finally married."

"Was the ceremony not real enough for you?"

"You know what I mean." She slapped his arm playfully, smiling.

"Probably. Doesn't mean I'll stop teasing, though."

"So how long until someone makes a dating your cousin joke to us?"

Jess looked at the people in the other room. "Give them twenty minutes. If they don't Lorelai surely will."

Rory tried to say something but she saw someone heading towards them and quickly moved away from Jess, hugging the woman.

"Mia! You made it!"

"Of course I did. I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

"When did you get here?"

"Just a few minutes before the ceremony."

"I'm so happy to see you." She hugged her again, then turned around and looked at Jess. "I want you to meet someone. Mia, this is Jess. He's…"

"Luke's nephew. We've met before."

Jess nodded softly, not knowing what to say.

"When? Oh…wait. At the diner, last time you were in town, right?"

Mia nodded. "How are you, Jess?"

"Fine." He pointed to the other room. "I'll just be over there, ok?" Rory nodded, focusing her attention back on Mia.

"How is everything? Where's Howard?"

"Oh, he couldn't make it…"

A few minutes later, she walked in the dining room, smiling at people and found Jess. She sat down next to him.

"Why'd you leave?"

"Just wanted to give you a chance to catch up."

"Is something wrong?" Rory asked, concerned and ran her fingers over his arm.

He looked at her, surprised. "Nope. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a bit off today, that's all."

Jess leaned over and placed a small kiss on her lips. "Everything's fine, I promise. Just not my crowd."

She nodded, squeezing his hand. "Have you talked to Liz yet?"

He shook his head. "Waiting for you. Come with me?"

"You sure?"

Jess nodded. "This way, she'll focus on you and not me." He replied smirking.

"Just because I owe you." She got up and smiled at him, taking his hand and he followed her. They navigated through the group of people standing and talking about the ceremony, finally reaching Liz and TJ, who were standing, talking as well. When Liz spotted her son, she hugged him quickly, making him even more uncomfortable.

"You were great out there!" She gushed, finally letting go.

"Thanks." Jess replied fast, looking at his feet. "This is Rory. Lorelai's daughter."

Liz smiled at her. "It's so nice to finally meet you. Both Luke and Lorelai talk so much about you. Even this one…" She pointed her thumb at Jess. "…Mentions you when he remembers to call."

Rory blushed, looking down at her feet. "It's nice to meet you too."

TJ looked at his wife, trying to figure out something. "So, she's Rory?" Liz nodded, trying to shut him up. "The one that Patty said was dating Jess?" She nodded again.

"TJ, you're making them uncomfortable." She smiled at the young couple, squirming embarrassed.

"So you two are dating?" TJ directed his question towards them and they nodded. "But now that Luke and Lorelai got hitched doesn't this mean that you're cousins?"

"We try not to think about it." Jess replied.

"But you're…"

"Oh, just ignore him." Liz told the younger couple. "Hon, could you go get me a drink please?" TJ nodded and left, leaving them alone. "Sorry about that. He means well, he just doesn't know when to shut up sometimes."

"How's Doula?" Jess asked, trying to find a safer topic to talk about.

"Oh, she's incredible. Growing day by day. She started walking a few weeks ago and knows some words. Just 'mama', 'dada' and things like that but…" She beamed proudly. "You should come see her if you're in town. You both should."

"Oh, we'll see…" He tried to evade answering.

"No, really, come for dinner one night. It will be fun, I promise. My cooking skills have improved tremendously in the last months."

"I'll give you a call and we'll see." Jess evaded again, then saw Bobbie standing in the doorway, waving them over. "We have to go. I think they need us for pictures or something."

"Yeah, sure, go. It was really nice meeting you, Rory."

"Same here." She finally said, still trying to stop blushing.

"You…call more often, ok? And come to dinner." She looked at her son.

Jess nodded again and they headed out. When they were in safe distance, he looked at Rory. "We don't have to go."

"No, we should go. She doesn't get to see you near enough."

"Hey, twice in less than 3 months is good."

"And before that?"

"Point taken." He smirked, getting in front of Bobbie.

"Hey, guys, I just need you for a few quick shots."

The two nodded and they all headed outside.

* * *

A few hours and lots of drinking, eating and dancing later, all the people were gathered in the dining room again, getting ready for the traditional toasts and cake. Rory was the first to stand up, holding her glass of champagne.

"Ok everyone, shush." She waited for the crowd to be quiet. "I would like to start this by apologizing. I feel responsible for the long wait for this wedding. You see, almost 8 years ago, mom asked me if she should date Luke." She looked at her mother, who was smiling. "I said no, because, well, I didn't think it would work. I was wrong. So completely wrong. There have rarely been two people destined to be together more than these two. I could give you a really long list of reasons as to why this is true but I think we all know them. We've all been next to them and watched them fall in love, make mistakes and learn how to be happy. We've worn ribbons or, in my case, stolen them from Taylor…" She looked at the man, who had finally given up his sweater for the occasion. "We've waited with our breaths hitched for them to realize that they have to be together and we've banged our heads against invisible walls when they couldn't see what was right in front of them. But finally this day is here. This is just one step in their journey and I hope that many years from now, when they look back at it, they realize that this was the day they were least in love. Luke, you've always been a huge part of my life and I have just one piece of advice for you: never run out of coffee." The crowd laughed, most of them trying to choke back tears at the same time. "Mom…well, you know. To me, you are Wonder Woman. You're both incredible people and I couldn't be happier for both of you." She lifted her glass and the others joined, drinking in honor of the newly legal couple. When she sat back down, she gave her mother a quick hug and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, sweetie." Lorelai gushed, wiping her eyes for what seemed like the thousand time that day. Luke nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

It was Jess' turn to stand up and he did it, taking his glass in his hand.

"There's no way I am going to top that so I'm not even going to try. Marriage has been described many times as a journey and, as a famous man once said, never go on trips with anyone you do not love. It's clear to all of us here that you've chosen to take this advice. I really believe that you've managed to find what other people spend their entire lives looking for-the one. Luke…thanks. For all you've done." He looked at the older man, who was smiling proudly at him. "Lorelai, I know we've had our differences in the past but if there's anyone that can make him happy, that's you. I hope the rest of your journey together is filled only with happiness."

They all drank and he sat back down. Rory ran a hand through his hair, leaning closer. "You were great. Although I can't believe you quoted Hemingway in your speech." She whispered.

"I can't believe you recognized the quote as his." He whispered back. "Starting to like him, Ror?"

She snorted, trying not to laugh. "Never. And just for the record, I can't believe we're still arguing over this."

Jess smiled softly, kissing her cheek. "Get used to it. We'll be having this debate a lot more in the future."

She smiled back, squeezing his hand gently under the table. "Promise?"

"Promise."

They looked at each other, smiling at the unspoken promise behind the teasing words.

A few minutes later, Luke spotted Jess going outside and followed him, whispering a quick "I'll be back" to his new wife. He walked out the back door and saw him standing on the porch, leaning against the wooden railing.

"Why are you out here?" Luke asked, standing next to him and looking inside through a window.

"Just needed some air."

"I…wanted to thank you. For what you said in there. And for all you've done today. It means a lot."

"It's the least I could do. I'm not sure I would be here today without your help."

"I didn't do anything, Jess."

"You did." The younger man continued, not looking at him. "You took me in and tried to be there for me. I didn't always recognize or accept your help but…yeah. I might have ended up in a ditch somewhere had it not been for you and her." He jerked his head in Rory's direction. "Guess what I'm trying to say is thank you."

Luke pulled him into a quick hug, patting his nephew's back affectionately. "You're a good man, Jess. I'm proud of you."

The door opened and Rory stepped outside just as the two of them were leaning back against the railing, taking their previous positions.

"Hey, sorry to interrupt but people are starting to get tired and Michel is complaining about something, so mom sent me to get you guys so they can bring out the cake."

They nodded and Luke headed inside, with Jess following right behind him. Before Rory could walk back in, he took her hand and stopped her.

"Come here for a second." He said, cupping her face in his hand and kissed her, running his fingers through her hair. "Thank you for keeping me sane tonight."

She placed a small kiss on his lips and smiled. "Anytime."

They headed back inside, standing and watching the cake being cut, his arm wrapped around her protectively.

Later that night, some people were starting to leave, while those staying at the inn for the night were still dancing and talking. Rory crashed on a couch next to Jess.

"My feet hurt."

"You've been walking and dancing all night in heels. It's normal." He replied, picking up her legs at the same time and putting them over his, slowly running his hand over them.

"Don't be rational." She pouted, running his hand through his hair.

"I'll never dare to again."

Rory laughed, her fingers still playing in his hair.

At the other end of the room, Lorelai was watching their interactions, a smile on her face. Luke came and wrapped his arm around her waist from behind, kissing her head.

"Your parents went to bed. What are you looking at?"

She pointed her head in the direction of the young couple.

"They look happy."

"I think they are happy."

"He really did grow up, didn't he?"

"Somewhere along the way."

Lorelai put her hand over her husband's, intertwining her fingers through his. "Do you think they even realize how much they care for each other? I mean the look so…comfortable together. Happy. Unnaturally happy, if we're talking about Jess."

"I really don't think we're the best people to judge that. It took us 11 years to get here." He kissed her cheek. "What do you say we call it a night so that I can spend some time alone with my gorgeous wife?" Lorelai nodded, tuning around in his arms and kissing him softly.

* * *

Some time later, after everyone had gone to bed, Rory walked out of her room and knocked on his door, softly, looking around her to see if anyone was in the hallway. When he opened she smiled, seeing him without his jacket or shoes on, his bow tie untied and hanging loosely around his neck.

"Hey." He leaned over and kissed her and she walked inside his room, closing the door behind her.

"My zipper is stuck. Help?"

He nodded and motioned for her to turn around, which she did. He pushed her hair out of the way and started unzipping her dress, slowly, kissing her shoulder while doing so. He smiled when he reached the blue lacy strap of her bra, continuing his way down until he had just a few inches left. He stepped back in front of her.

"I think you can do the last bit yourself. Wouldn't want your dress falling while you walk back to your room."

Rory smiled, moving closer to him. "Thank you." She pressed her mouth to his, while her hand moved to the back and she undid the last inches then stepped back, pushing the straps to the side and letting the dress slide to the floor.

"Ror…" He whispered, his throat suddenly dry and his voice coarse.

"Shhh…"


	16. Radar?

**A/N: Fluffy chapter. That's pretty much all I have to say. Thank you for the reviews and keep them coming. They make me write faster. Also, I'm working on a new story which should hopefully be up by the end of the weekend so keep an eye out for it. Thanks again, guys, and enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

**Radar?**

Rory sighed happily, her arm securely wrapped around him and her head resting on his chest and he kissed the top of her head, smiling against her hair.

"You ok?" Jess asked, trying to figure out her silence.

She moved up, falling on the pillow next to him. "Right now?"

He nodded, waiting for her answer.

"More than ok. Exhausted, starving yet so incredibly and impossibly happy." She placed a small kiss on his lips, smiling in the dim light coming from outside the windows, reflected in the snow.

"Oh, yeah?" He asked again, smirking as his fingers played with hers.

"Yeah." She kissed him again, ruffling his hair. He caught her hands in his, stopping her and pulled her over closer to him, kissing her again.

"It's messy enough as it is without your further help." He accentuated the word 'further'.

"No fun." She pouted, then laid back down on the pillow, wrapping the sheet tightly around herself. "God, I'm really starving. Can I borrow a t-shirt?"

"Why?"

"I'm going for food. In cake form."

"So are you starving or do you want cake?"

"Both. Conveniently solved with one quick trip." She smiled.

"And why do you need a t-shirt? Just grab a robe. Or do you honestly think someone else is up at this hour?"

"I don't know…maybe Emily is haunting the halls, trying to make sure some punk…" She smiled, placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. "Isn't trying to sneak in her precious granddaughter's room."

"Too late for that." He smiled back, running his hand up her thigh. "And you came to my room."

"I know. So…t-shirt?"

"Bag is on the chair. There should be one on top."

"Thank you."

She smiled, getting out of bed and throwing a shirt on, then picked up a robe from the bathroom and tied the cordon tightly around her waist. "I'll be back fast. Do you want anything?"

"Cake sounds good."

Rory smiled and nodded then headed out the door. She was back a few minutes later, trying to juggle two plates and forks, which she quickly placed on the nightstand. Putting the robe on a chair, she sat on the bed, picking up one plate, while Jess got the other one.

"So, tell me, Einstein, what would you have said if you would have met anyone on your way back?"

"I was really, really hungry and didn't want to pile too much cake on one plate so I wouldn't risk it falling off or something."

"Huh…totally unconvincing."

"Unless the person I could have met was very tired, in which case my explanation would have total sense."

"I'll give you that." They ate silently, smiling at each other from time to time. As soon as they finished, they put their plates back on the nightstand and lied back down on the bed, looking at each other.

"Hey…can I ask you something?" He asked, twirling a strand of her hair between his fingers.

"Anything."

"What made you come here tonight? Not that I'm saying I mind, which, by the way, I don't…I'm just curious."

"I was just…I was looking at mom and Luke today and thinking about all the time they've wasted when they could have been happy together which made me think of all the time we wasted…"She cradled his face in her hand, running her thumb over his cheekbone. "…And I got so tired of waiting and not enjoying what we have now."

He moved closer to her and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm glad you're here. And…" He took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "You know that thing you said on the phone the other night? It goes both ways."

She ran her hand through his hair again, smiling.

* * *

The next morning, Jess was sitting on the edge of the bed, whispering her name softly, trying to wake her up.

"Mmmm…" She mumbled, picking up the pillow and putting it over her face.

"Time to get up."

"I hate you." She said through the pillow, making him chuckle.

"I have coffee." He offered, looking at the fresh cup of coffee on the nightstand.

"I love you." She mumbled again, pushing the pillow to the side only to find him looking at her, smirking. She realized what she had just said and quickly sat up, pulling the sheets tightly around her body. "I didn't mean that as in I love you, I love you. It was more of a 'supplying coffee makes you a god' and well, you know how much I love coffee and by extension I love anyone that gives me coffee so I just wasn't thinking and that came out but it's not what I meant and I'm tired and therefore wasn't thinking so I'm not trying to rush things or make you say anything back, because, I care about you but I don't think I love you, love you right now and are you ever going to say anything?" She fired quickly, making him smirk even more, trying very hard not to laugh at her rambling.

"I know." He leaned over and kissed her forehead, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I just found your rant entertaining."

"Ugh." She grumbled, hitting him with the pillow.

"Be nice or I'm taking away the coffee."

Rory looked around her and spotted the mug, picking it up quickly and hugging it. "Mine."

He chuckled again, watching her gulp down the coffee.

"You don't have any?"

"Sookie was in the kitchen. I couldn't really find an excuse to get two. Does that woman ever sleep or does she just cook at all times?"

"Debatable." She looked at him, then at the mug and extended her hand. "You can have some of mine."

"You drink that. I'll just go for another cup later." Jess replied, smiling at her offer.

"Sure?"

He just nodded. "Sure. I got that for you."

"Thank you." She smiled and kissed him. "So why are you up so early?"

"Force of habit, I think. They frown upon sleeping in instead of going to work. Talks have been had in the past."

"So you're all worker bee now?"

"Possibly." He smirked. "And this way, I get to kick you out."

"Why?" She pouted, finishing her coffee and putting the cup back on the nightstand.

"Because you have to get dressed before everyone else wakes up. Or do you think you can explain to your grandparents why you're walking around the inn in your bridesmaid dress?"

"You're making sense again." She smacked him with the pillow. "I thought I told you to stop that."

"Never again." He lifted his hands in the air signaling defeat, smirking. Rory got out of bed and threw a robe on, picking up her dress from the floor.

"I'll go get dressed and be right back."

"Ok." He nodded. "I'll hunt down more coffee."

Smiling, she leaned over and kissed him. "Thank you."

* * *

Later that day, everyone was gathered for lunch in the dining room, chatting. Rory and Jess were sitting together, exchanging quick glances and smiles. Lorelai was talking to Sookie, looking at them when a thought crossed her mind and she excused herself quickly, walking to where her daughter was sitting and putting her hand on her arm, smiling at the two.

"Rory, I need to talk to you in the kitchen for a second. I'll have her right back." She addressed her last sentence to Jess who just nodded, looking at Rory. She shrugged, not knowing what was going on and got up, following her mother to the kitchen.

"What?" Rory asked, as soon as they were in the kitchen and Lorelai looked around them, checking to see if they were alone.

"You slept with Jess!" She said, pointing a finger at her daughter who blushed furiously, looking down at her feet.

"God, do you have a radar or something?"

"Ha! I knew it!" Lorelai gloated victoriously.

"How did you know? Is this place bugged? Because if this turns out to be anything like the lost episode from _Married…with children_, I have to remind you that that's illegal."

Lorelai laughed, crossing her arms. "Nothing like that. You're just being very…I don't know how to explain this. Like you're sharing a secret. I don't think anyone else noticed anything, though. Shame on you for not telling mommy, though. Where you going to let me leave for my honeymoon without knowing this?" She chastised her daughter jokingly.

"And I was supposed to find you on your wedding night and inform you?"

"Guess not…But, boy, you guys really suck at taking things slow!"

"Hey! 2 and half months is reasonable by anyone's standards."

"Yes, but this is the second time you've seen each other in those months so it doesn't count."

"We've known each other for 7 years. Doesn't that count?"

"Nope."

"Fine." She grumbled. "Why are we even having this conversation?"

"I enjoy mocking you. Keeps me young."

"Well, as long as you're having fun."

"I am, thanks. But seriously, kid…you happy?"

"I'm happy." Rory nodded, grinning.

"And not just…you know what I mean happy? It's more then dirty happy?"

Blushing again, she bit her lower lip. "Not just that happy. Really happy."

"It's good then. I don't have to kill the hoodlum." Lorelai replied, trying not to laugh.

"Are you ever going to stop asking me that?"

"Probably not. I have to make sure. Concocting an evil plan to kill him if he ever makes you miserable might take a while so I need to know ahead of time."

"So, I should try to be less obvious from now on?" Rory asked, suddenly serious.

"It would be preferable before my mother notices something. She's been watching you guys as well and trust me, she has a radar. I swear. My teenage years were a constant torture."

Rory giggled, opening the door. "I'll keep that in mind."

As soon as she was back in the dining room, she sat back in her chair. "Mom knows." She whispered low enough for only Jess to hear.

"What?" He whispered back.

"Last night."

"Sheesh, does she have a radar?" He asked, running a hand through his hair.

"That's what I asked." She replied, grinning. "And no. Apparently we're being obvious."

"Got it." He replied, pulling away a bit but putting his hand on her knee under the table at the same time. "What they don't see, won't hurt us." He smirked and she put her hand on top of his, squeezing it gently.

* * *

A few hours later, Jess and Rory were standing in front of the inn, getting ready to say goodbye to Lorelai, Luke and April, after everyone else had left. Lorelai hugged her daughter, trying very hard to smile.

"I'll miss you, kid."

"I'll be fine. Everything will be fine. Enjoy your honeymoon."

"We should have postponed. I don't get to see you near enough."

"Mom…be a big girl and go with your husband, ok?" Rory teased her.

"Fine." She grumbled, letting go and waving at Jess. "You take care of her, ok?"

He nodded quickly.

Luke stepped closer to her, putting his arm around her waist. "We should go if we don't want April to miss her plane." Lorelai nodded, wiping her eyes quickly and hugging her daughter again.

"I'll call, ok?"

Rory nodded. "You better. Have a great time!"

"You too." Waving, the three got in the car, leaving the two alone of the porch of the inn, watching the car as it drove away. When it was out of sight, Rory turned around and hugged Jess, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He just ran his hands through her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"Are you ok?"

"I'll miss her."

"I know. But hey, you have me. How about if I promise you get to pick the movies all week long and I will do my best to mock them with you?"

"No, it's fine." She looked up, kissing his cheek. "I appreciate the offer though."

"Trying my best here."

"No need to. I'm glad I get to spend a whole week alone with you. Well, you and this crazy town. I'll just…miss her."

"I know." He kissed her temple, wrapping his arm around her waist.


	17. Luck and Carol Brady

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. This was supposed to go up a few days ago but I've just moved and I spent the last 4 days packing, unpacking, cleaning and waiting for a disappearing fridge(long story). The bad news is that I won't have internet for another week so I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up(and I won't be able to promptly answer any reviews). Good news about that is that I have much more time to write now so updates should be faster once I get internet again. Sorry about the long note and I hope you enjoy this you for the reviews.  
**

**

* * *

Luck and Carol Brady  
**

Tuesday morning, Rory walked out of her room and saw Jess standing in front of the stove, making pancakes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed the back of his neck.

"Happy New Year."

"Morning." Jess replied, still waiting for the food to be done.

Sneaking one hand under his shirt, she ran her fingers across his stomach. "Did I tell you how nice it is to wake up and have you around?"

He picked up her free hand in his and kissed it. "Not since yesterday morning."

"Hm…" She placed another kiss on his neck. "I've let far too much time go by then. I miss you when you're not around. A lot."

Instead of answering, he just squeezed her hand gently. Kissing his shoulder one more time, she let go of him and picked up the coffee pot, pouring coffee in a mug. Placing the mug down on the table, she grabbed a couple of plates from a cabinet, as well as forks and knives and set the table, then sat down and looked back at Jess.

"Feeling any better about dinner tonight?"

"Not really. Why did I say yes to that?"

"Because, no matter what happened in the past, Liz is still your mom. And Luke would have been mad if you would have said no."

"The second one seems about right."

"It will be ok. I'll be there. I'll run interference." She answered.

"Promise?" He asked, turning off the stove and dropping the last pancake in the plate next to him. Picking up the plate as well as his coffee mug, he walked to the table and put both of them down.

"Promise." She reassured him, leaning over and kissing him.

"Food's ready."

"Finally. I'm starving."

"How can you be starving? You've been awake for 5 minutes." He asked, forking pancakes on her plate.

"I can go from zero to hungry in under 3 seconds. It's a Gilmore thing."

"Good thing I'm here to cook for you then." He smirked and she smiled in return.

"Yep…I'm lucky. Really lucky." He looked back at her, his smirk turning into a true smile and cupped her face in his hand, kissing her.

"You should eat before it gets cold."

"Thank you for breakfast." She mumbled in between bites. "These are really good. Have you considered a change of careers?"

"What? Open my own diner?" He asked, smirking.

"I was thinking more like following me around and cooking for me every day, but that one works as well."

"Tempting. I heard the benefits package is really good for that job."

Blushing, she slapped his arm playfully. "You're very fortunate it's too early for me to get angry with you for that comment."

"I'm sure you can remember to be angry with me later. As for the job offer, I think I'll stick to the one I have. I'll make you a deal, though. If we're in the same town or city and I have access to a kitchen, I can cook for you."

"Deal." She replied, kissing his cheek.

Their breakfast was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. Rory got and tried to walk towards the phone but Jess caught her hand in his. "Leave it. They can call back."

"It could be mom."

"She can call back as well."

Leaning over, she ran her hands through his hair and kissed him."It will be two minutes. You'll have my undivided attention after that."

"Sounds good." He replied, smirking and running his hand over her bare leg. Kissing him one last time, Rory walked and picked up the phone, pushing the 'talk' button as she sat back down.

"Hello." Jess watched her as she turned serious. "Oh, hey, grandma." He grimaced and she bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Happy New Year to you too." Pausing, Rory picked up her fork, moving the pancakes around on her plate. "If I'm still coming to what?" She paused again, getting up. "Yes, I know it's Friday, grandma. I just hadn't thought about it." She picked up the coffee pot, while Jess watched her. "Fine, sure, I'm coming." She sat back down. "I don't know, grandma. He might have plans." She poured coffee in her mug then picked his up, moving it closer. "I'll check, but he's probably busy." She topped his mug with coffee and he nodded once as a thank you, still looking at her. "I am not in charge of his schedule. Again, I'll have to check with him but I don't think he can make it." She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Fine. I will ask him. What, do you need to re-meet him?" She sipped from her coffee cup. "Yes, I know I am just like her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go. There's someone at the door."

Pushing the button angrily, she threw the phone on the table and sighed, frustrated. Jess put his hand on her knee, rubbing small circles with his thumb, trying to calm her down.

"I should have listened to you and not answered it. Ugh."

"Want to fill in the other half of the conversation?"

"I am my mother and I have to go to Friday night dinner. Oh, and you're invited. Don't worry about that though, you don't have to come."

"Do you want me to come?" He asked her and she looked at him, surprised.

"You don't have to." She just repeated herself.

"I heard. It's not what I asked."

"Why…are you feeling suicidal?" She asked and he chuckled.

"Not really. And you still haven't answered my question."

"I…just think that if she got a chance to talk to you, black eye not included, it might just make things slightly better. I don't think it will solve everything but really, it can't get much worse. And grandpa will be there, so he could calm things down. But you really don't have to do this. I'll just tell her you had to do work stuff or visit Liz or something."

"Ok."

"Ok what?"

"Ok, I'm going to dinner."

"Jess, are you serious?" She asked him.

"Yep. You want me there, it might make things less uncomfortable for you and it's only going to take a few hours. I might as well."

Jumping from her seat, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

He pulled her down so that she was now sitting on his lap and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from sliding down. Pushing a strand of hair out of his face, she kissed him again. "Jess, you have no idea how much this means to me."

"It's ok. I like seeing you happy." He took a deep breath and kissed her. "I like being the one that makes you happy."

"You really don't have to try that hard for that." She replied, smiling madly. "Having you in my life is enough."

* * *

That night, they arrived at Liz's house, ringing the doorbell. She opened the front door, holding Doula in her arms and smiled at them.

"You're here!"

"We said we'd come." Jess grumbled quickly and Rory squeezed his hand.

Not noticing his bad mood, Liz just moved out of the way. "Come in, come in!" They walked in the small living room. "TJ's watching football. He'll be down in a few minutes."

Smiling politely, Rory looked around her. "You have a lovely house."

"Thank you. Sorry about the mess but this one doesn't leave me too much free time." She replied, kissing the little girl's forehead.

"She's adorable." Rory cooed, looking at the toddler who was shying away from them, holding on to her mom and burying her face in the crook of her neck.

"She's a bit shy. Not unlike Jess when he was her age." Liz smiled and Rory looked at him, squeezing his hand again. "Look who's here, baby. It's your big brother!" Liz tried to get the little girl to look at the two but she just shook her head. "She'll get used to you in a few minutes and then you won't be able to stop her babbling." Finally remembering that dinner was still in the oven, Liz pointed to the couch. "Sit down. I'll just check on the food and be right back with you." The two nodded and sat down on the couch.

When Liz turned her back, Rory leaned over and kissed Jess' cheek quickly. "It's not too bad so far." She whispered and he nodded.

"Did I tell you in the last 5 minutes just how grateful I am that you're here?"

"I'm here any time you need me, ok?" She reminded him and he wrapped his arm around her.

"Jess, can you give me a hand with this?" Liz asked from the kitchen.

"Sure." He stood up, walking to the small kitchen area. Liz handed him some plates, while Doula waddled hesitantly towards the couch, smiling at Rory.

"Can you just drop those on the table? I can set them once I get the food out."

"Don't worry, I'll do it." He replied, walking to the table and started setting the plates down, looking at Rory who was talking to the toddler, smiling. A couple of minutes later, Liz walked behind him, putting a tray filled with food down and looked at Rory and her daughter, who was now extending her arms towards Rory, asking to be picked up.

"She's good with her."

"Yeah…she is." He smiled as Rory started making faces at the little girl, making her laugh.

"Let me just go get TJ and we can have dinner."

"Ok." Jess nodded then headed for the couch, while Liz went to the other room.

"You're very popular tonight." He smirked, sitting down next to her while the toddler hid again, this time behind Rory.

"She's cute." She replied, picking up the little girl in her arms.

"Liz seems to like you as well."

"That's a good thing, right?"

"Doesn't matter. I don't care what she thinks."

"I know. I just want her to not hate me. Everything's complicated enough as it is."

"I doubt anyone could hate you." He replied, kissing her temple softly.

"But there were just five minutes left!" TJ whined, walking into the room with Liz following closely behind him.

"Jess and Rory have been here for 10 minutes already. Dinner is ready. I don't care how long it was, we're going to eat now."

"Hey." The man grumbled at the two, then sat on a chair, crossing his arms across his chest.

"You'll have to excuse him. He'll get over it in a minute. Want to head over to the table?" Liz asked, picking up the little girl and putting her in a high chair, while Jess and Rory walked to the table, sitting down.

"Help yourselves." Liz offered, grabbing a small jar from the fridge for Doula and a spoon, then sitting down as well, while everyone else started picking up food.

"How old is she?" Rory asked after they started eating.

"A bit over a year."

"She's very sweet."

"Thank you. She's so different from Jess, though." She replied, looking at her son. "The only thing they have in common is the shyness."

He didn't reply, just shook his head slowly. Looking at him, Rory saw his expression suddenly turned serious and put her fork down, reaching for his hand under the table, only to find it tightly clenched in a fist. Wrapping her fingers around it, she tried to calm him down.

"He grew out of it when he turned 2. That's when he got that attitude of his and he never seemed to drop it until now."

Biting his lip, Jess shook his head again, while TJ looked at the three of them.

"Liz, wanna talk about something else? You can tell them about that thing that happened last time we were at the fair." He tried to change the subject, noticing the tension.

"Why? Rory might like hearing this. I know he doesn't talk much about it."

"I'd love to hear about the fair." Rory tried to bring the conversation to safer areas as well.

"I should be allowed to be proud of my kids. I just wish I had more pictures of Jess when he was a kid. He was adorable. We just didn't have a camera back then." She addressed the last sentence to Rory but before she got a chance to reply, Jess stood up, throwing his napkin on the table.

"We didn't have a camera because you sold it to buy booze. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm out of here."

Rory got up as well and Liz followed them quickly, while TJ remained behind to pacify Doula.

"Jess, wait! I'm sorry!" Liz called him and he turned around, with Rory standing by him.

"Oh, good. You're sorry. What exactly are you sorry for, Liz? For all the crap you pulled or just for bringing this up?"

"Jess…"

"Nope, sorry doesn't cut it. You want to be the perfect mother now, that's fine. I'm glad Doula will have that. But don't try to pretend you were that to me, ok? Because we both know you weren't exactly Carol Brady."

"Can we talk about it? Calmly?" She pleaded with him again and he just looked at her, his fists clenching again at his sides.

"Nope. We're done talking. We were done talking when you decided to send me away. I knew coming here tonight was a bad idea." He turned around, taking Rory's hand. "Let's go."

"Jess…" Liz called his name again but he just walked out the door and Rory followed him closely. As soon as he got out of the house, he let go of Rory's hand and started walking quickly and she just walked next to him, trying to keep up. When they reached the bridge, he sat down, burying his face in his hands. She sat down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Jess?"

"I'm ok. Can I just…have 5 minutes to calm down?"

"Yeah. Want me to leave you alone or…?"

"Nope, stay here. Just…"

"I know." She took her hand of him and sat down next to him, wrapping her arms around her knees, just looking at him as he stared at the lake.

"Come here." He whispered a few minutes later and she moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm sorry you had to be there for that." He said after a few more moments of silence.

"Don't be. I want to be here for everything. That includes the less than pleasant." She replied, putting her hand on his knee.

"I'm just…she makes me angry. The way she acts. Like none of that ever happened."

"I know." She replied, lifting her head. She ran her fingers slowly through his hair, then kissed his temple. "I wish there was something I could do to fix all this for you."

"There isn't."

"I know." She repeated, placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. "I just wish there was. I feel so helpless right now. You're hurt and there is nothing I can do to make you feel better."

He hugged her closer to him, kissing her forehead softly. "It was a long time ago, Ror. I'm more or less ok with all that. Her pretending everything was perfect is what got to me. And you don't have to do anything to make me feel better. Having you here is enough. Knowing..." He accentuated the word. "...You want to be here is enough."

Instead of replying, she just kissed him, her fingers playing slowly with his hair. When he pulled back, he kissed her temple again then stood up, extending his hand to help her up as well.

"Let's get some food and go home, ok?"

She nodded, wrapping her arm around him as they headed back into town.

* * *

Later that night, they were lying in bed, her head resting on his shoulder and her arm wrapped tightly around him, keeping him close to her.

"Jess…?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"If you ever want to talk about Liz and everything else, you know I'm here to listen, right?"

"Thanks." He replied, kissing the top of her head. "And just so you know…I'm the lucky one here."


	18. Talking about it

**A/N: First off, the big, awful mea culpa. As _LukeAndLorelai Brucas Fan_**** (thank you so much)** **pointed out, I messed up the Brady Bunch reference. I'm sorry and I promise to never try and write again with a fire alarm buzzing over my head every minute. The chapter is fixed now. Also, this chapter is slightly more serious than usual. Third, still no internet.**

**Thank you for the reviews, you are completely awesome. I hope you enjoy this. **

**

* * *

****Talking about it**

The next morning, Rory walked out of her bedroom slowly, trying not to wake Jess up. Closing the door behind her, she turned the coffee machine on. Once coffee was done she poured herself a cup and walked to the living room, turning on the TV and just looking through the channels, not really watching anything. Almost half an hour later, she heard the phone ring and she picked it up from the coffee table.

"Yeah?"

"_Ah, that's how you answer the phone? Where is the quirky line? The cheerful greeting?"_ Lorelai asked.

"Hey, mom. Sorry, I'm in a bad mood."

"_Why? What happened? Did you and Jess have a fight?"_ Lorelai suddenly turned serious.

"No, but dinner last night was awful. Liz said some things and Jess got so angry, mom. And he has every right to be angry with her but it's just…he's hurt and I can't do anything about it. He barely slept last night." She buried her face in her hand and sighed.

"_I'm sorry, kid…"_ She tried to comfort her daughter through the phone. _"I don't think there's anything you can do. Just be there for him. Make sure he knows you're there."_

"He knows. I just feel useless."

"_Rory, you know as well as anyone that there are some things that can't be fixed. Remind him one more time that you care and give it some time. That's the best advice I have."_

"Thanks." She smiled softly.

"_Do you want me to ask Luke to call her? Liz listens to him."_

"And tell her what? If she goes near her son again, his girlfriend will kill her?" Rory chuckled humorlessly.

"_That bad?"_

"From what I know, yeah. And…I don't care what happened back then. The details don't matter, the only thing that does is that she hurt him. I mean I'd like to know but if he doesn't want to talk about it yet, I'm not going to make him. After last night…she still gets to him. He means too much to me and he's such a great guy…he just didn't deserve it. I know he can deal with it by himself but I need to do something and there is nothing for me to do."

"_Rory…"_

"He's even coming to Friday night dinner with me and I can't do anything for him. I'm useless." She just repeated, sighing again.

"_Kid, please don't do this to yourself. Trust me, he will feel better. In the meantime, there really is nothing for you to do."_

"I know. I'm sorry, I'm putting all this on you when you're on your honeymoon. I shouldn't have said anything, you should be relaxing and having fun."

"_I am doing both those things. I can be a mom and friend at the same time. I'm great at multitasking like that." _

"How's it going?"

"_Fun."_ Lorelai grinned at the other end of the phone.

"And that's pretty much all I wanted to hear. No details, please."

"_Like I was going to share that with you!"_

Hearing some noise in the other room, Rory looked quickly in that direction. "Mom, I think Jess is waking up. I'm going to go see how he is, ok?"

"_Ok. I'll call you tomorrow."_

"Ok. Continue having fun. And say 'hi' to Luke for me."

"_Will do. Bye, hon."_

"Bye."

Putting the phone back on the table, Rory got up, picking up her mug and walked to the kitchen. She picked another mug and filled both of them, then pushed the door to her bedroom slowly. Seeing Jess sitting up on the bed, she took the last few steps and put the mugs on the nightstand, then sat next to him and kissed him.

"Morning."

"Hey." He replied, putting his hand on her leg.

"I made coffee." She smiled, pointing to the mugs. "I would have made breakfast as well but seeing how the only things I can cook are cereal and Poptarts and I didn't know when you were going to wake up, which would have lead to cold Poptarts or soggy cereal, I decided against it. I can go make something now."

Smirking, he ran his hand over her leg. "It's fine. How long have you been up?"

"Half an hour."

"And you've already made coffee and thought of all that?"

"And talked to mom."

"How is she?"

"Having fun."

"That's good." He replied, picking up his mug and drinking from it.

"How are you?" Rory asked him, running her fingers through his hair.

"I'm fine." He answered, suddenly becoming more serious.

"Jess…" She moved closer to him, cupping his face in her hand and running her thumb across his cheekbone. "You can talk to me about it. I'm not trying to push you but…you spent all night twisting and turning. I'm worried."

Taking her hand in his, he placed a soft kiss on her palm. "Don't be. We have 5 days left together and then I have no idea when we're going to see each other again. I don't want to ruin them by talking about that, ok? I'm fine. Angry with Liz, yeah, definitely but other than that, I really am ok."

"Ok." She nodded, leaning over and kissing him. "But if you change your mind…?"

"I know. You're here to listen."

"Exactly." She kissed him again, then picked her mug and drank from it. He stood up and finished his coffee in one gulp.

"I'm going to go take a shower and then I can make breakfast. Something that doesn't come out of a box."

She nodded. "Ok. I'll be either here or in the living room." Picking up the two now empty mugs, she stood up and watched him as he headed for the door. "Jess?"

"Yeah?" He turned around and she walked to him, then hugged him tightly.

"You know I care about you, right? A lot."

Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her back and kissed her temple. "I know." He answered, kissing her temple again.

"Never forget it, ok?"

"I won't." He smirked, running his fingers over her spine. "Now you really have to let go, unless you want to join me in the shower…"

She let her hands down, smiling playfully and dropped the mugs on the desk next to her, then started trailing kisses down his neck. "Definitely more fun than watching TV…" She trailed off, lowering her hands and pulled his t-shirt off, dropping it on the floor.

* * *

That night, they were back in the kitchen. Rory was sitting on a chair, drinking coffee and watching him as he chopped some vegetables.

"Shit." Jess cursed, putting the knife down.

"What's wrong?" Rory got up and walked to him, putting her mug back on the table.

"Cut my hand. Don't worry about it."

She just shook her head and took the last step. "Let me see." She picked up his hand grimaced when she saw blood slowly running down his thumb. "You should get some water on this."

"It's just a small cut."

Looking at him, she kissed the corner of his mouth. "Water. Now."

"Yes, ma'am." Jess smirked and walked to the sink, with Rory following him, still looking at his hand. She turned on the tap and, as soon as the water started running, she put his hand under it. After a few seconds, she turned off the tap again and examined his wound.

"I'm going to get a band-aid for this."

"Rory, it's really not that bad."

"Why are you still arguing with me?" She asked, opening a drawer and picking up a small box. She took a band-aid out and unwrapped it slowly, then put it over his cut. "Now for the most important part of the healing process." She picked up his hand again and kissed the spot next to the band-aid, the let it go again and placed a small kiss on his mouth. "Kiss to make it better."

"I don't think they teach that in med school." He smirked, cupping her face in his hand and kissing her again.

"That's because they're all idiots. It's proven that cuts just don't heal as well if they're not kissed."

"I wouldn't know." He suddenly became serious and lowered his hand. "Liz was never the caring kind."

"Jess…" She just wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as she could. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring anything up with that and make you sad."

"You didn't. It's not your fault, Rory." He kissed her forehead, putting his arm around her waist.

"I'm an idiot."

"No, you're not." He pulled back a bit and lifted her chin with his hand, making her looks at him. "You don't have to walk on eggshells around me, ok? I'm fine. There's no other way I can say this so you'll just have to believe me."

"Ok." She nodded then kissed him. "Now go sit down. I'll take care of dinner."

"You'll cook?" He asked incredulously.

"Silly boy, who said anything about cooking? I'll do it Gilmore style." She grinned, letting go of him.

"So…pizza or Chinese?"

"You pick."

"Chinese."

"Ok." She nodded again. "Go sit down. You're injured."

He chuckled and shook his head, then left the room. Rory picked up the phone and ordered the food, then walked in the living room and sat on the couch next to Jess.

"Dinner will be here in an hour."

"Ok." He replied quickly and she looked at him, seeing him serious again. Moving closer to him, she ran her hand through his hair.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"I…" He took a deep breath then looked at her. "Do you want to hear about that?"

Realizing what he was asking, Rory moved even closer and shrugged. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"It's not what I asked."

"Jess…I don't want you to tell me about it just because I want to hear it. And I really don't want you to tell me all that if it's going to hurt you in any way, ok? I can live with not knowing. I would like to know what happened but if it's too much, you don't have to tell me."

"It was a long time ago, Ror." He reassured her.

"Then…yes, tell me. I want to hear about it."

He nodded and picked up on her legs, running his hand absentmindedly over her skin. "I guess there is no good or pleasant way to out this. Liz was a drunk. My earliest memories are of her slurring her words, not being able to even walk straight and making me go to the store to buy her mode cheap vodka. She'd bring men home. A lot of men, and the ones that suck around long enough to meet me all carried the title of my future daddies. And when they'd leave, taking whatever they could find with them, she'd start drinking even more and have one night stands and just completely ignore my existence. We never had anything. If they didn't take it with them when they left, she'd sell it. Instead of 'kiss and make better'…" She smiled weakly, picking up her hand and placing a soft kiss on her palm. "…I had screaming and yelling. Once in a while, she'd get really drunk, even more so than usual, and instead of ignoring me she'd tell me that it was my fault Jimmy left her. She cleaned herself up when I was 15, but it was too late. When she realized nothing she'd say to me would matter and I had my own life, she just gave up and sent me here. We both know how that turned out and I'm not going to go through that so…I guess that's pretty much it. The short version, anyway."

She was quiet for a few seconds, just looking at him as he stared at the empty fireplace. When she could react again, she just leaned over and kissed his temple, blinking rapidly trying to chase away a few stray tears. Feeling her wet skin against his, he turned around to look at her and wiped her cheeks.

"I didn't mean to make you cry."

She shook her head, waiting for a few moments until she trusted herself to speak. "It's not you." She crushed her mouth to his, tangling her hands in his hair. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his, not opening her eyes. "I'm just…angry. So, so angry. It's unfair and it hurts and someone needs to invent that DeLorean now so that I can do more than just tell you what you already know."

"Ror…" He whispered softly, lifting his head and kissing her forehead.

"Let me be mad at her for you. At the world." She finally opened her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Jess. And I don't know if this means anything to you, but knowing you went through all that hurts me so much. Nothing compared to how it was for you but it still kills me to know your life was that way."

He didn't reply, instead he just picked her up in his arms, pulling her closer to him while she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. He just cradled her in his arms, kissing the top of her head, not being able to find a way to put all he was feeling into words.

"You...you have no idea how much that means."


	19. It's my life

**AN: I will never admit in public how many version I have of this chapter. Trust me, there's a good reason for the delay and my folder for this fic is now...much bigger. I hope you enjoy it and no one is too OOC. Thank you for the reviews, and again, enjoy. **

**

* * *

It's my life  
**

Friday afternoon, Jess was sitting on the couch, watching TV, waiting for Rory to get dressed. When she finally came out of the bedroom wearing a knee-length dark blue dress, she headed for the couch and looked at him.

"You're not ready."

"My clothes are in the bedroom. You kicked me out to get changed. And we still have half an hour before we have to leave." He stated, looking at her.

"Well, I'm out of the bedroom now. Go get dressed!"

Standing up, he wrapped his arm around her waist. "Nervous?"

She just nodded, biting her lip.

"If I tell you it's going to be ok, will you believe me?"

"Probably not." She smiled.

"Ok. I'll just go get all proper now so you can stop stressing." He smiled back and kissed her.

"Thank you."

Kissing her one last time, he headed for the small room. Before he reached the kitchen, he just turned around and looked at her.

"You look really nice in that dress."

Blushing, she looked down at her feet and Jess just walked into the room. Less than ten minutes later, he walked back out, finishing buttoning his shirt.

"Tie or no tie?"

Looking at him, she smiled. "You're volunteering to wear a tie?"

"Hey, whatever gets Emily off my back."

She got up and walked to him, fixing his collar. "I think no tie."

"Thank you." He smirked, kissing her softly.

"You look nice…not as good as in the tux, but it will do." She smiled playfully.

"You realize that no amount of flirting, bribing or whatever else you might try will make me wear a tux until next time some idiot decides to get married, right?"

"I had to try." Rory replied, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. "Can I tell you again how much you coming to dinner means to me?"

"I think the first million times you've mentioned it were more than enough."

"Just making sure you know." She kissed him again and he just hugged her closer to him.

* * *

Later that night, in front of the Gilmore mansion.

"We have to ring the doorbell at some point." Jess looked at Rory, who was just standing there, staring at the small button.

"Just give me one more minute."

"You said that 5 minutes ago." He smirked, moving behind her and wrapping his arm around her waist, kissing her cheek. "Why are you so panicked about this?"

"I just…really want her to like you. Or at least not hate you."

"Being late won't win me any points, you know that, right?"

"I know. It's just…this is going to suck."

"Then the sooner we get it done, the better." He replied, reaching from behind her and pushing the doorbell. The next second, he stepped back next to her and Rory shot him a glare.

"You had to do that?"

"Yeah, before we froze to death in front of the door and your grandmother found two snowpeople here tomorrow morning." He managed to finish his sentence before a maid opened the door.

"Hello."

"Hey, we're here for dinner." Rory smiled politely at the new girl, knowing that she definitely won't be there next time she came to the house.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Come in!" The girl smiled back and moved out of the way so that the two could walk in. "Can I take your coats?"

They handed her their coats and Jess took Rory's hand, squeezing it reassuringly one last time. "It will be fine."

"Thank you." She whispered back.

"Mr. Gilmore is in the living room."

Rory nodded and headed for the room, still holding on tightly to Jess' hand. As soon as they walked into the room, Richard stood up and walked towards them.

"Hey, grandpa." Rory smiled, letting go of Jess' hand and giving her grandfather a quick hug.

"Hello, Rory." He looked at the young man and shook his hand. "It's nice to see you again, Jess."

"You too, Mr. Gilmore."

"Where's grandma?" Rory asked as they all headed towards the couched.

"Scaring the cook, I'm guessing. I don't think the poor man will last until the end of the weekend. Drinks?" He offered, walking to the drink cart.

"Sure." The two nodded and Rory quickly squeezed Jess' hand again, while her grandfather's back was turned.

"Stop being nervous, you're making me nervous as well." He whispered quickly and she bit her lip.

"Sorry."

"Martini, Rory?"

"Yeah, that will be fine, grandpa."

"Jess, what do you want to drink?"

"Anything you have, I'm not picky."

"I have some nice Scotch, would that be ok?"

"That would be great."

Richard came and handed them their drinks, then picked up his and sat back down in his chair.

"Remind me to give you a tour of my study after dinner, I have some books I think you'd be interested in." He addressed his comment to Jess and Rory snorted.

"Hemingway?"

"Among others."

"Can I skip the tour then? I have no desire to listen to any more gushing about how brilliant he was."

"I'm sure your grandmother won't mind keeping you company. You really should give him another chance, Rory. Jess, help me on this one."

"You still owe me a Hemingway book, Ror." Jess looked at her and she just drank from her glass.

"Don't remind me."

Richard tried to say something but was interrupted by Emily walking back in the room.

"We're going to have to let the cook go, Richard! And the maid! She keeps hiding from me! I swear, there are no competent people…" She stopped when she noticed the younger couple sitting on the couch. "Oh, you're here."

Both Jess and Rory stood up, looking at her. "Nice to see you again, Mrs. Gilmore."

"You too, Jess." She replied coldly, looking at her husband. "How long have they been here?"

"A little over five minutes."

"You'd think whatever her name is would have bothered to come and tell me!" She shot quickly, then looked back at the two. "Sit down, dinner is going to be late. There's no use standing up. You have drinks?"

"Yes, grandma."

"Good." She answered, going to the drink cart and picking up a glass, pouring herself a Martini as well.

"Have you heard from your mother?" She asked Rory, sitting down on the couch in front of them.

"Talked to her this morning."

"How is she?"

"Enjoying her honeymoon. Both her and Luke sounded very happy."

"That's good. And you? Relaxing before you have to get back to work?"

"Definitely. It's really nice not to spend all my time on a bus."

Emily turned her attention to the man sitting next to her granddaughter. "Jess, I don't believe Rory's ever mentioned what you do for a living. I'm going to assume you don't still work at Wal-Mart." She looked at him and he looked back, trying to find the right words while remaining polite.

"Emily, that was completely unnecessary." Richard looked at his wife.

"Actually, Mrs. Gilmore, I run a small publishing house with 2 friends. We put out a few books a year, a monthly magazine with an online version and have local artists show their work once in a while in our shop. Nothing big, but it's a step up from working a forklift." Jess replied coldly, drinking from his glass.

"Any books we might have heard of?" Richard asked again, trying to defuse the situation before it got any worse.

"Not really. They're usually very small editions. The highest we've gone so far was 5.000 copies of one book, which isn't much. The magazine is more popular, though. We're hoping to have at least a couple of books reach the 10.000 mark in the next year or so."

"You should give me the address of your bookshop so I can visit next time I'm in Philadelphia. I'd like to see what kind of books you publish."

"I can send you a few, if you'd like."

"If that wouldn't be too much trouble."

"It's fine. We always have a few spare copies lying around."

"You should send him _The Subsect_." Rory whispered softly.

"I'm sure your grandfather has better things to do with his time then to read that." Jess replied, making both Emily and Richard look at them.

"What are you talking about?" Richard inquired, while Emily just shot the two another glare, then went up to refill her glass.

"It's just…can I tell him?" Rory asked Jess and he just nodded, knowing there was no way to stop her. "Jess wrote a book. And it's really good but he's being all writer-y and modest and doesn't want to talk about it, but I've read it and I know it's great so if he doesn't send you a copy, I'll just loan you mine, grandpa." She rambled quickly, before he got a chance to say anything else.

"Is this true, Jess?" Emily asked the young man.

"Yes. She's being too nice because it's really not that good but I did write a book."

"Huh…" She replied, sipping from her glass. "So you did do something with your life."

"Well, I for one would love to read it." Richard looked at his wife again, but she was too busy looking at the younger couple to notice him.

"Dinner is read, ma'am." The maid announced, running out of the room as quickly as she'd come.

"Finally!" Emily exclaimed, getting up and the other three followed, heading for the dining room.

* * *

Almost an hour later, after a very quiet and uncomfortable dinner filled with sarcastic remarks and attempts at polite conversation, Richard finally stood up, looking at Jess.

"Would you like to see the books I was telling you about?"

Standing up, the young man nodded.

"Rory, you're sure you haven't changed your mind?"

"Oh, yeah. But give me five minutes in here…" She looked coldly at her grandmother "…and I might join you."

"We'll be in my study." He answered and they both walked towards the room. As soon as they were inside, Richard closed the door behind them, turning on the lights.

"You'll have to excuse my wife. She can be very stubborn at times."

"It's ok."

"She just doesn't like seeing Rory get hurt. Neither one of us does."

Suddenly feeling very uncomfortable again, Jess nodded, looking at the older man. "Sir, I can assure you it's not my intention to hurt Rory. What happened in high school was a long time ago and…"

Richard lifted his hand, interrupting his speech. "I trust my granddaughter and I'm sure that she wouldn't be dating you if you hadn't worked those things out. Also, I'm old enough to be sure that there are more sides to that situation than I or Emily know of, so I am not trying to blame you for what happened then. That's between you and her. But right now, you make her happy and that's all that matters. I don't need any reassurances from you and I really didn't mean more anything more than what I said by my comment."

"I'm sorry." Jess relaxed a bit. "I guess I've gotten used to having to defend myself."

"Lorelai?"

"Among others."

"My daughter, as much as she denies it, can be a lot like Emily at times. Give her time. In fact, give both of them time. Now, about those books…" He walked to the bookcase, with Jess following closely.

In the meantime, back in the dining room

"I cannot believe you're dating him again!"

Rory just shook her head, getting ready for the tirade she knew was about to follow.

"He's completely unsuitable for you! You are no longer 17, Rory! He is not the man you should be dating right now."

"Oh, really, grandma? I suppose you're going to remind me again of how much better Logan was for me." Ever since the two had broken up, Emily had been bringing up the other man in random phone conversations, mentioning his parents or any news she had of him.

"I wasn't going to, but since you brought it up…"

Rory snorted, shaking her head again while Emily just continued her sentence. "Yes, Logan was much better for you. He comes from a good family, has a good job. He can offer you things that Jess will never be able to. You have to think of your future. "

"What sort of things can Logan give me that Jess can't?"

"His father could find you a real job, not just some online newspaper that makes you traipse all over the country. You two could have had such a lovely life together."

"Just like yours, right? I should have just married him and joined you in planning whatever DAR soiree you had to do. Never mind that I don't want that and, sorry to break it to you, Logan doesn't either-why do you think he quit working for his father?"

"He would have gone back eventually, when he realized just how much better it was for him."

"Grandma, I'm not going to debate this and Logan with you any further. We're done and I'm dating Jess now. And maybe he can't give me all those things that Logan could but I like him and he makes me happy. I also like my job. And my life isn't anything like yours, but guess what? It's a good life. I get that you're happy but so am I, so please stop pushing this!"

"How about all the things he did to you in high school?"

"Six years ago! We're both adults now so just let that go!"

"He'll leave you again, you know? They never change…"

Standing up, Rory looked at her grandmother. "I'm done. You can't seem to understand that this is my choice to make and you don't get a say in it. I'm thankful for all the things you and grandpa have done for me in the past but if you want us to have any sort of relationship from now on you'll have to be nice to Jess and me."

"Excuse me? This is still my house, young lady! You don't get to talk to me like that!"

"Then I guess I'm leaving." Rory picked up her purse from the chair and walked hurriedly to the study, with Emily following her.

"Rory!"

Ignoring her grandmother, she walked inside and looked at her grandfather.

"I'm sorry, grandpa, but Jess and I have to go now." She hugged him quickly. "I'll you a call next time I'm in town and we can meet for lunch or something."

"Rory, we weren't done talking!" Emily stormed inside the study.

"I'm pretty sure we were. Jess…?" She looked at the young man who was still standing next to Richard, both of them trying to understand what was going on. A few seconds later, he walked in front of Richard and looked at him.

"It was nice seeing you again, sir."

"You too. Be sure to send me those books."

"I will."

Rory took his hand, still glaring at her grandmother. "Let's go." He nodded and they headed out, with a still angry Emily looking between them and her husband.

"Richard, do something!"

He didn't reply, instead he just looked back at his wife, shaking his head.

"You're impossible!"

As soon as the maid brought back their coats, Jess and Rory walked outside and to the car.

"What happened?" He asked before she got a chance to open the doors and she just started pacing.

"She's just being Emily. I swear, every time she does something like this I realize why she and mom never got along. And start wondering even more how mom actually made it for 16 years living with her."

"Stop for a second." He asked and she looked at him, stopping. Instead of saying anything else, Jess just walked closer and pulled her in a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"Can you drive?" She mumbled, hugging him closer.

"Sure."

"And stop for ice cream?" She mumbled again, not letting go.

"There's some in the freezer. Bough it this morning. Figured it might be needed at some point tonight."

Looking up, she smiled at him, finally calmer. "You're very close to being perfect right now, you know that, right?"

"I try." He chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Feeling better?"

"A bit."

"Let's get you home then."

"One more minute." She hugged him again and he didn't reply, instead just wrapped his arms even tighter around her.


	20. Aftermaths

**AN: This was supposed to go up almost a week ago. Sorry, guys. I've been attacked by relatives and in between that, writing my latest one-shot** **and possibly working on a new Lit story, I kind of spaced out on this chapter. Anyway, I hope you like it and thank you all so much for the lovely reviews. **

* * *

**Aftermaths**

Saturday morning, Rory and Jess were sitting on the living room couch, drinking coffee and watching the news, enjoying their time together. They heard the phone ring and Rory tried to get up but Jess stopped her.

"Don't answer that."

"Jess…" She kissed him, smiling.

"Hey, last time you picked up the house phone it was Emily. You sure you want to risk it again?"

"It's probably just Lane or someone. One minute."

"Fine, but if you get roped into another dinner, I'm not going with you." He smirked and kissed her.

"I know. Now stop distracting me and let me get that." She replied quickly, getting up and picking up the phone. "Hello!"

"_Hello, Rory."_ The voice at the other end of the phone greeted her.

She made a face, looking back at Jess who was still on the couch, watching her. "Hey, grandma." Shaking his head and trying not to smirk, he just mouthed _"Told you so"_ to her.

"_How are you?"_

"Fine." She snapped. "Is there a reason for this call because if you just called to chat then sorry, I'm not in the mood."

"_There's no need for that tone." _

"I'm sorry, but where you there last night? Do you remember what happened?"

"_I remember very well what happened last night. That's the reason I called you."_

"Feel like picking up where we left off? Because I'm not in the mood for that either."

"_I called to apologize. I was completely out of line last night. Both you and Jess are always welcomed in our house."_ Emily replied from the other end of the phone, her voice cold and unemotional.

"Huh. Thanks grandma. I have to go now." Rory answered, trying not to get angry and then promptly put the phone down, pushing the button. She walked back to the couch and sat next to Jess.

"I cannot believe that woman!"

"What happened?" He just asked sympathetically, kissing her shoulder.

"She apologized."

"And that made you angry?"

"You should have heard her tone. It was possibly the least heartfelt apology in the history of mankind. I know her too well, I can tell the difference between the moments when she's honest and the _"I have to do this"_ moments. She used to use that tone every day when she dropped by the DAR. She just did it so she could throw the ball back on my side and now, if I refuse her invitations, I will be the ungrateful granddaughter."

"I'm sorry, Ror." He pulled her closer to him, kissing her temple.

"Thanks. I'm fine. Or will be anyway."

"If you want me to do anything…"

She just ran her fingers through his hair, smiling. "You've done too much." She kissed him softly. "And really, out of the two of us, I should be apologizing. She was a witch to you last night. The things she said to you…"

"It's ok. She doesn't have to like me. And I never actually expected anything to come out of dinner last night."

"So…you only went with me because I wanted you to?" She asked him, finally realizing it.

"Pretty much."

Instead of answering, she just kissed him, squeezing his hand. "I take back what I said last night. You're not almost perfect, you are perfect."

Smirking, he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am?"

"Yep." She kissed him again. "Really, really perfect."

He chuckled and pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You're not that bad either." She rested her head on his shoulder, looking at the TV, not really watching what was going on.

"I'm just curious what exactly made her call…"

"I don't know, Rory. You sure she didn't mean it?"

"Oh, yeah. I'm sure."

* * *

_The night before, at the Gilmore mansion._

_Richard walked into the living room, pouring himself another glass of Scotch and looked at his wife, who was sitting on the couch, drinking as well. She looked at him, still furious._

"_I can't believe you're on his side! He is not the right man for her!"_

"_He might not be but that's not for you to decide. Now I'm going to say something and I'll just say it once: 7 years ago, you came to me and told me I had to call Rory and apologize for being rude to Dean. Tomorrow, you have to do the same thing. You're going to lose her otherwise. She likes that boy and the fact that you don't is not going to make her stop dating him. So call her if you don't want this to end badly."_

"_Richard!"_

"_That's all I had to say. Think about it. I'm going to bed."_

_

* * *

_

"So, what are we going to do today?" Jess asked her.

"Hm…I was thinking stay inside, get dinner and spend our last full day together doing absolutely nothing. I might go get us a movie if I get too bored of you."

"Bored, huh?" He smirked, kissing her neck.

"Well…" She smiled, pushing him back and crushing her mouth to his.

* * *

Later that day, Rory wrapped her arms around Jess from behind, kissing his shoulder while he focused on chopping some things for dinner.

"You really didn't have to do this. We could have just gotten take away."

"I like cooking. And seriously, I am getting very tired of Al's Chinese."

"Tonight is Thai night."

"Even worse." He made a face. "Once was more than enough."

"When was the last time you had Al's Thai food?"

"High school."

"His cooking skills have seriously improved in the last 6 years."

"I don't want to try it. Plus, I've already started making this. Are you protesting because you want take away or because you're getting tired of my cooking?"

"I like your cooking." She kissed his shoulder again. "Especially when you cook just for me."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

"I don't know. Guess I got tired of not doing anything."

"So go get us a movie. Dinner will take a while."

"But what will you do without me?"

"Live." He smirked, putting the knife down and turning around.

"What if you cut your hand again?"

"I'll sit here helplessly waiting for your return."

"Promise?" Rory grinned, kissing him.

"Cross my heart." He nodded solemnly and kissed her back. "Now go and get a movie. Nothing too cheesy."

"In the mood for anything?"

"Not really."

"Ok. I'll do my best." She kissed him one last time then let go, heading for the front door. Before she opened it, she heard his phone ring in the living room and picked it up, walking to the kitchen and handing it to him. "It's ringing."

"It's Liz." He mumbled, taking the phone and pushing the off button.

"She's still calling?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry, Jess." She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek.

"Hey, at least she hasn't given up after one try this time." He chuckled humorlessly, pulling her closer to him.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Not really. Go get that movie and don't let her spoil our night."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Ok." She nodded again, kissing him. "I'll be right back."

A while later, Rory walked out of the video store, holding a bag with a couple of DVDs in her hand when she spotted a blond woman heading towards her. Quickly looking behind her and deciding that there was no point in hiding, she just wrapped her arms around herself and waited for the woman to get near her.

"Is he ok?" The other woman asked quickly, trying to catch her breath.

"Yes, Liz, he's fine."

"Why isn't he answering his phone?"

"None of my business. Jess gets to do whatever he wants and if he doesn't want to talk to you, that's his choice."

"He's at your house, isn't he? Miss Patty said that's where he is. I was heading over that way because I really need to talk to him about the other night."

"No, you don't." Rory shook her head, trying to keep her calm. "You've done enough damage. You need to leave him alone and wait to see if or when he decides to talk to you."

"Rory, he's my son. This is not for you to decide."

"Trust me, I know it's not because if it was my choice, you'd never be allowed anywhere near him again." She hissed, anger boiling inside her. "Go home. I'll pass along your message and if he wants to talk to you, he knows where to find you." She finished her sentence and turned around, heading back towards the house, leaving Liz just standing there, watching her as she walked away.

When she reached the house, she dropped the bag in the small hallway, then walked in the kitchen.

"Hey. What did you get?" Jess asked, looking at her.

"Can you stop that for a second?" She pointed to the pans. "I have to talk to you."

"Give me a minute." He turned off the stove quickly, pushing the pans aside then turned around to look at her. "What's wrong?"

She motioned for him to sit down, then pulled a chair closer to his and sat down as well. "I ran into Liz."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And?"

Rory quickly recounted the argument, then looked at him. When he didn't say anything, she just took his hand and intertwined her fingers through his. "I'm sorry, Jess. I'm not trying to fight your battles for you and you can tell me I was completely out of line but I just…I don't want to see you like you were on Tuesday again. Couldn't stand seeing you like that again."

"It's ok." He lifted their hands and placed a small kiss on her palm.

"Really?"

"Really." He smiled weakly, looking at her. "The only reason I'm angry right now is because you're caught in the middle of this. Well, that and at her, but that's not the point right now. You shouldn't have to be dragged in my mess."

"I want to be." She caressed his cheek slowly. "I'll keep reminding you of this as many times as you want: I care about you, so much, and I want to be the one that's between you two. I know you can do this by yourself but I'm asking you to let me do it for you."

"Why?" He asked her simply and she sighed, pulling her chair closer to his and cupped his face in her hand.

"Because I can't change any of the things that happened. I don't have a magic wand that will just erase all that and give you a happy childhood instead and this…this is the only thing I can do. This way, if you ever decide that you want to have any sort of relationship with her, this won't be between you two as well. She can hate me all she wants, I don't care. And, while you may think this is silly, but I want to protect you from all that. You mean too much to me not to at least try to do that in the only way that I can."

"Come here." He asked her, pulling her closer to him until she was straddling him and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. She buried her face in his hair, her arms circling his neck.

"Thank you." Jess whispered softly and she pulled back a little so she could look at him and kissed his forehead.

"What for?"

"For saying all that."

"I mean it."

"I know."

"But you're still going to keep me out of this, aren't you?" She tried to smile as she asked her question.

"My plan is to keep both of us out of this. She'll stop calling eventually. We're both leaving tomorrow. It's not like she's in our lives that much."

"There you go, being all rational again." She tried to lighten the mood, placing a butterfly kiss on his lips.

"How dare I?" He asked, his normal smirk back.

"How many more times do I have to tell you to stop it? You'd think I mention it enough."

"I'm doing my best."

"Ok." She kissed him again. "I guess that's good enough." She smiled and stood up, taking his hand. She pulled him up and hugged him tightly. "Just...remember what I said earlier, ok? In case you change your mind or something happens."

"I will." Jess answered, kissing her.

She pointed to the pans on the stove. "Any chance that's still good to eat?"

"It will probably be all burned on one side. Kind of what happens when you interrupt the cooking process."

"I guess it's Thai night then." She giggled excitedly. "Just remember the first rule of Al's take away night: what does not kill you, makes you stronger."

"Or stranger."

"Oh, no, this is definitely stronger. Kind of like mom's attempts at cooking." Rory made a face and he smiled, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"If this is all part of your plan to give both of food poisoning so we don't have to go back to our lives tomorrow, it's a bad idea. I'm grumpy when I'm sick. You wouldn't like me."

"What makes you think I like you now?" She stuck out her tongue and he backed her up against the counter, putting his hands on both sides of her.

"Don't you?"

"Not really." She shook her head, smiling.

"Really?" He trailed kisses across her jaw, stopping just before he reached her lips and looked at her.

"Yep."

"Huh…ok then." He pulled back, smirking. "I guess I'll just leave you alone then."

Rory quickly moved, taking his hand and pulling him back next to her. "Don't you dare." She kissed him, running her hands through his hair.

"I thought you didn't like me." He smirked when she pulled back.

"I still don't. But I need someone around to make sure I get to the hospital on time if the food is bad. And, you know, I did rent _Almost famous_ and I really don't want to watch it by myself."

"Voluntarily? Did something fall on your head while you were walking to the DVD store?"

"I was thinking you deserved a treat for making dinner. Seeing how that's not happening, though, I could just pick something from mom's collection…" She trailed off, smiling.

"What if I promise I'll make you breakfast tomorrow?"

"Nope. You were making me breakfast anyway."

"I was?"

"Yeah. It's part of our deal."

"What if we watch it because it's the last movie I get to see before I die of food poisoning?"

"Fair enough." She kissed him quickly, taking his hand and walking to the living room, with Jess next to her.

* * *

Later that night, Rory woke up to an empty bed. Quickly throwing his t-shirt on, she walked out and into the kitchen, finding him sitting at the table, writing something in a notebook. She leaned over, wrapping her arms around his back.

"Why are you here?"

"Just writing." He closed the notebook quickly.

"Still working on the book?"

"Something like that."

"You're being mysterious." She smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Only slightly." Jess smirked, looking at her.

"Come back to bed." She asked him, kissing his cheek again.

"Give me five minutes."

"Fine. But if you're not back in five, I get to read whatever it is you're writing."

"Fair enough." He agreed and she ruffled his hair, going back in the bedroom.


	21. I hate this

**AN: I don't know if I actually like this chapter all that much but I had to get it out of the way so I can get to the next one. That one's exciting, I promise. At least I think it is. Rambling again. Sorry. Enjoy and thank you so much for the lovely reviews.  
**

* * *

**I hate this**

"My child! My one and only child, that I know of anyway! Where are you? I have returned!" Lorelai rambled as she walked in the house, with Luke following closely, carrying a couple of their bags. Rory jumped off the couch and ran to the door, hugging her mother, excited to see her again.

"You think you could have other children running around?" She asked, giggling. "Hi, Luke." She looked at the man and he smiled back at her, waving his hand.

"I don't know. Maybe." Lorelai answered.

"Mom, do I need to explain the facts of life to you?"

"Nope, you need to explain to me that you've decided to quit your job and move back in with me!"

"Sorry."

"Ah, well." They both walked to the living room and Lorelai spotted Jess. He quickly stood up, looking at the three of them. "Hey, Jess." Lorelai greeted him.

"Hi."

"The monosyllabic one strikes again. Are you related to your uncle here by any chance?" Lorelai wrapped her arm around her husband's waist after he dropped the bags on the floor.

"Not that I know of." Jess smirked before pointing at the bags. "Need any help, Luke?"

"I've got a few more in the car that you can bring in if you want."

"Sure." Jess started walking towards the front door, squeezing Rory's hand quickly as he walked by, making her look after him and smile.

"Ok, I want to hear everything about your honeymoon!" Rory looked back at her mother.

"It was fantastic! Amazing! Awesome! Almost made me want to get married again so I can have another one."

Luke picked up the bags again. "I'll just go drop these upstairs."

"Instead of making us coffee?" Lorelai looked at him, smiling. "You don't get the rules here, do you?"

"No. Get your own coffee."

"Ah! Ungrateful!"

"Well, the honeymoon is over." Rory smiled and headed for the kitchen, her mother following her.

* * *

Later that day, with Luke back at the diner, getting everything ready to open the next morning and Lorelai in the living room, Rory and Jess were sitting on the porch, looking at his car, his bag at their feet.

"I hate this long distance thing." She sighed, putting her head on his shoulder.

"Not a big fan either."

"You haven't changed your mind about being my personal chef, have you?" Rory smiled and he kissed the top of her head, his arm tightly wrapped around her waist.

"Not really."

"Ugh." She grumbled, lifting her head to look at him. "And the worst thing about this is that I have no idea when I'll see you again. Last time, I had the wedding to count down to. Now…nothing."

"We'll make it work, Rory."

"I just hate not seeing you." He didn't reply, instead he just cupped her face in his hand and kissed her gently.

"It will be fine." He reassured her again and she nodded.

"I know it will be." She stood up and took his hand. "You should get going. It's a long drive."

"Trying to get rid of me?" He asked, smirking.

"Yeah, that's exactly it." She squeezed his hand softly and he stood up, taking his bag in his other hand.

"Well, in that case…" Jess placed a kiss on her cheek.

Rory wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him close. He tangled his free hand in her hair, while she was biting her lip, trying to hold back her tears.

"I'll miss you Jess. So, so much."

"I'll mi…" He started saying but she just him off with a kiss.

"Don't say it."

"Why?"

"Because I'm barely holding it together right now and if I hear you say that, I'll just start crying."

"Ok." He nodded, kissing her again.

She let go of his neck and started walking towards the car again, holding his hand. When they reached the it, he threw his bag in the trunk, then turned around, leaning back against the car. She put her hands on either side of him and kissed him.

"You'll call when you get there, right?"

"No, I'll text when I get there. And you'd better be asleep."

She smiled. "Ok."

Jess wrapped both his arms around her and kissed her temple. "I'll see you soon."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He nodded and she kissed him one last time, before stepping away from him.

"It's getting late, Jess. You should go."

"I know." He agreed, looking at her. "I'll call you tomorrow night."

"You better." She smiled playfully, running her hand through his hair. "Drive safe."

"Aren't you supposed to be running when you say that?" He smirked.

"I will never live that down, am I?" Rory asked, giggling.

"Probably not."

"You know what? The whole missing you thing? I take that back."

"Huh." He kissed her again, his hand cupping her face slowly. "Ok. However, I will miss you. And I really have to go now."

She looked at him, nodding and biting her lip again. "Go." She squeezed his hand one last time and watched him as he got in the car and drove away. When he left the driveway, she walked back in the house and crashed on the couch next to her mother.

"Jess left." She announced and Lorelai looked at her, rubbing her arm.

"Are you ok?"

"Not really." Rory finally felt the first few tears rolling down her cheeks and she rested her head on her mother's shoulder, while Lorelai wrapped her arm around her.

"I'm sorry, kid."

"I really hate this thing. He's so far away all the time and I'm always in a different city and I have absolutely no idea when I'm going to see him next. I hate it." She repeated, sighing.

Lorelai stayed quiet, just rubbing her daughter's arm softly, while she cried. When Rory finally calmed down, she looked at her mother, wiping her cheeks.

"Sorry about that."

"It's ok."

"I'm ruining our last few hours together by being a baby."

"You're not ruining anything, Rory. It's ok to be sad that you're going to be away from your boyfriend."

"You'd think I'd have experience by now. First Logan, now Jess. Only it gets harder and harder, instead of easier."

"Yes, but you know to enjoy the times you do get to spend together more. And hey, at least you're in the same country this time. You'll find a way to see each other soon, I'm sure."

"Thanks." Rory smiled weakly. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"Shouldn't you go to bed?"

"I have to be at the airport in 4 hours. It would be kind of useless to sleep now. I'll just sleep on the plane."

"If you're sure…"

"I am." Rory reassured her, standing up. "I'll make us some coffee. You pick a movie."

"What do you want to see?"

"Anything, as long as it's happy."

"Ok."

3 hours later, Rory walked in the kitchen, filling her cup of coffee.

"Mom, I'm just going to go bring out my bags and then we can continue this completely useless debate."

"This is not useless!" Lorelai yelled from the living room. "This is very important!"

"Yes, world peace would be achieved if we can agree on whether or not Brad Pitt looks better with or without a beard."

"Obviously!"

Rory shook her head and picked up her mug, walking into her bedroom. She sipped some coffee and looked around the room, trying to see if she had missed something. Instead, she spotted a small package, nicely wrapped. Smiling, she picked it up, tearing the paper off to find a small wooden jewelry box. She opened it, finding a neatly folded piece of paper. Looking at the door one last time to make sure her mother wasn't looking for her and sitting down, she took the note in her hands and unfolded it, putting the box on the bed next to her.

"_I remembered I never got you anything for your birthday so we can call this a very late birthday present. Or not so late Christmas present. Whatever you want. It doesn't really matter, does it? I hope you like it, whatever we're calling it. _

_Ok, I'm rambling. One might think I had spent the last week with you or something. Speaking of last week, thank you. For everything you've said and done. For being here. And since I'm writing this I don't have to argue with you when you claim you didn't do anything. You did and it means a lot. More than I'll ever find a way to tell you. So thank you again and be sure that those words don't even begin to describe how grateful I really am. And I'm sorry the dinner with your grandparents didn't solve anything. I don't like knowing that you're fighting with Emily because of me. If you can think of anything that would make things better, let me know. Even if that involves more dinners. Volunteering to go in the wolf's den. It's official, I've lost my mind. _

_And yet again I realize that I am jumping from one thing to another and not making much sense. You'd think I would be better at this, with the whole aspiring writer thing. But it's late and you're sleeping in the other room and I have absolutely no idea what I'm trying to actually say here. Other than what I've already said. And that I care about you too. I don't think I've told you this before because I always assume you know it but here it is. Just in case you didn't know it. You…mean a lot to me. If I'm ever an idiot and forget to tell you that for too long just smack me over the head with this note. Or with the box. That would work better. _

_I hope you're smiling as you're reading this. And I promise we'll find a way to see each other again soon. Even if I have to quit my job and start following you around, ok?_

_You might have noticed by now that I never have any idea how to start or end notes. _

_Jess_

_PS: Yes, this is what I was writing last night. Although you probably figured that out by now. Take care of yourself."_

Smiling, Rory started reading the note again but before she could finish it, the door opened and her mother walked in.

"Your phone buzzed."

"Thanks." Rory put the note down and took the phone from her mother. Lorelai pointed to the wrapping paper on the bed.

"What's that?"

"Christmas present from Jess. Or late birthday present. Or both."

"Oh, fun! What was in it?"

Rory handed Lorelai the jewelry box, keeping the note in her hand.

"I…um…I'm confused. It's pretty but Jess doesn't seem the type to get you this. It's not made of books."

Rory chuckled, then took the box back from her mother. "It's a bit of an inside joke."

"Aw, sweet." She smiled, then looked back at the door. "I'm going to go get Luke. We should head for the airport soon."

"Ok." Rory lifted her phone. "I'll be done in five minutes."

"Take your time, hon." Lorelai left the room and Rory looked at her phone, finding a text message.

_Got here in one piece. My welcome party is asleep. Miss you. Have a safe flight. _

She dialed Jess' number, waiting for him to answer.

"_You were supposed to be sleeping."_

"I have to leave for the airport soon. And I wanted to spend more time mom."

"_Figures."_ He smirked at the other end of the phone. _"Did you get any sleep?"_

"I will on the plane." She smiled, looking at the box again. "I found my present."

"_You liked it?"_

"I loved it. You really didn't have to get me anything, but I loved it. It's beautiful."

"_I'm glad you did. Found the note as well?"_

"Yep. And thoroughly enjoyed your rambling."

"_You're to blame for that."_ He smirked again.

"I know. I…miss you, Jess."

"_Really? Already? Huh…"_

"Don't. Let me tell you I miss you." She sighed, feeling a new batch of tears gathering in her eyes. "A lot."

"_Are you trying to get me to drive all the way back there tonight?" _

Rory smiled, picking up the jewelry box in her hand and looking at it. "Nope. I don't know what I'm trying to do. I wish you were here." She sighed again. "I should go. You need to sleep and I have to get to the airport. Florida awaits."

"_Is the sleep thing an order?"_

"Yes, it is." Rory grinned.

"_I wouldn't worry about it. I have a feeling I'll get way more sleep now that there isn't someone here to distract me."_

"No, you'll just spend your nights writing."

"_You might have a point there."_

"I know I have a point." She smiled again. "I really should go now, Jess."

"_Ok. And since I never plan on having a 'no, you hang up' conversation, I'm just going to say goodbye now. I'll call you tomorrow night."_

"Bye, Jess."

"_Bye."_ She put the phone back down, then carefully placed the note back inside the box, finding it a place in one of her suitcases.

Looking around the room one last time, she sighed again. "I really hate this."


	22. Perfect first

**AN: Warning: contains nauseating amounts of fluff :D. Enjoy and thank you for the reviews. You are all absolutely fantastic.**

**

* * *

Perfect first**

Almost a month later, Rory dialed her mother's phone number, sitting on the bed.

"Mom, I need girl talk." She announced when Lorelai picked up the phone.

Smiling, Lorelai sat down on the couch, picking up her coffee cup. _"Shoot."_

"I think I'm in love with Jess."

"_In other news, the sky is blue."_

"What do you mean?"

"_Kid, you cried on my shoulder for half an hour when he left to go back to Philly. I kind of picked up on that."_

"And you couldn't have told me?" Rory asked indignantly.

"_That…you're in love with your boyfriend? Really? I had to be the one to tell you?"_

"Ok, maybe not. But what do I do now?"

"_You could tell him."_ Lorelai offered.

"I don't want to."

"_Or you could not tell him."_ She shook her head, smiling. _"Why don't you want to tell him?"_

"It's stupid."

"_Hon, I was there for the Bryan Adams period of your life. And the time when you wanted to be a ballerina, despite having absolutely no coordination or dancing skills. Nothing is as stupid as that. Ok, maybe I could name a couple of other things…"_

"Enough!" Rory sighed exasperated.

"_You're going to tell me now? Or do I have to start with stories involving diapers?"_

"It's just…I've never had a perfect first 'I love you'. You know what I mean? When one person says it and the other says it back and everything is nice and joyous? Dean and I broke up when he told me he loved me, Logan didn't say it back and Jess, last time? He left. He just said it and left. So maybe I am crazy and silly but I really don't want to tell him first because I really want that and who knows when or if there will be another guy after him. Am I crazy?"

"_Aw, honey, you're not crazy for wanting that. But wow…you're at 'if there's going to be someone else' already?" _

Blushing and biting her lip, Rory looked down. "I don't know. I think so. I mean…it's different this time."

"_Just different from last time or different from every other guy?"_

"Both. It feels…right. Is it odd?"

"_I don't think so. Why would it be?"_

"Isn't it too soon?"

"_Rory, it's not like you met him 3 months ago. If that was the case then yeah, definitely danger, Will Robinson. But with Jess… I don't know. Does it feel soon to you?"_

"Nope."

"_Then it's not. Just follow your gut. I still think you should tell him you love him. I'm pretty sure you might get your perfect first 'I love you' this time."_

Rory smiled softly. "You think?"

"_I think. I've seen the way he is around you."_

She smiled again. "Anyway, I don't want to tell him over the phone."

"_You're in Pittsburgh this weekend, right? That's not that big of a drive."_

"Yeah, except I don't have a car."

"_Damn, that slipped my mind. Call him then and tell him to come over."_

"And how exactly should I do that? 'Honey, would you mind driving for 5 or 6 hours each way to see me because I have something to tell you but I don't want to tell you over the phone because I'm psychotic?'. That would work." Rory snorted.

"_You call him 'honey'? Ew."_ Lorelai snickered at the other end of the phone.

"I was using that for dramatic effect. Now focus."

"_Focus on what? No matter what I tell you, you're still not going to listen to me. I've told you what I think. You should tell him. If it has to be over the phone, then so be it."_

"I can't."

"_Fine, then just wait until next time you see him."_

"But I don't know when that will be."

"_Rory, babe, I'm trying here. But I really can't give you any other options. Take the train to Philadelphia this weekend?"_

"There's no direct train and there's a thing I have to cover for work on Saturday."

"_Then unless you have access to a teleportation device and forgot to tell me, you're out of luck. I still say you should ask him to come over this weekend."_

"And I'm still not going to do that."

"_So…what are you going to do?"_

"Wait, I guess."

"_For what?"_

"A chance to see him. And hope I don't blurt it out on the phone."

"_Heh, that would make for a good story."_

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Rory giggled.

"_The words 'never stop mocking you' do come to mind…"_

_

* * *

_

Friday night, a couple of days later, Rory was in her hotel room, trying to fall asleep when she heard a knock at the door. Looking at her watch quickly and seeing that it was well after midnight, she picked up a robe and went to the door, wondering who it could be. She opened the door, finding Jess standing on the other side, looking at her.

"Jess!" She squealed, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are you doing here? Is everything ok?"

"Yeah." He put his arm around her waist, kissing her cheek. "I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by."

She pulled back, looking at him. "You were in Philadelphia when I called you earlier tonight. How is that in the neighborhood?"

"It's…the same country?" He smirked, pulling back just a bit so he could kiss her.

"Ok, you're either being mysterious for absolutely no reason or intentionally trying to scare me. Either way, the end result is the same."

"I just wanted to see you. Talk to you." He took a deep breath before kissing her again. "I missed you."

"Jess, I missed you too but this is kind of freaking me out. Add the fact that you were really weird on the phone tonight and…" She trailed of, just looking at him.

* * *

  
Earlier that night

"…_And Hugo said he really liked my last article."_ Rory smiled, finishing her story.

"It was good."

"_You say that about all my articles."_

"That's because they're all good."

"_You have to say that, you're my boyfriend. You have to be nice and lie to me."_

"I miss you, Ror."

She smiled at his out of the blue admission. _"I miss you too."_

Jess stayed quiet, trying to organize his thoughts.

"_Jess?"_

"Sorry. Still here."

"_You're quiet tonight."_

"Just distracted by work."

"_Aw, I don't get your undivided attention?" _

"You talked about work for the last 5 minutes." He smirked and she chuckled softly.

"_Touché. I should go then and let you focus on your work. I have to finish writing my new article, anyway."_

"I'll call you tomorrow."

"_Ok."_ She paused for a second. _"Jess, you'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?"_

"Nothing's wrong."

"_But if there was?"_

"I'd tell you." He conceded, running his hand through his hair.

"_Ok. Have a good night." _

"You too." He turned off the phone and put it back down, then walked out of his bedroom and into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Sitting down on one of the chairs in the living room, he turned on the TV, not really watching anything. Almost half an hour later, Matt walked in the room and threw himself on the couch, sighing heavily.

"I hate poets."

"Nathan didn't like your ideas for the cover?" Jess chuckled.

"Apparently they don't capture the true essence of his poems. Whatever the heck that means."

"It means he's insane."

"Well, he's a poet. They all are." Matt sighed again, burying his face in his palms. "Is there any coffee left?"

"Kitchen."

"Thanks." He walked to the kitchen and reappeared a few seconds later holding a mug, then sat back down on the couch. "What's wrong with you?"

"Huh?" Jess looked at him.

"You're in a mood."

"I'm fine."

"Tell me before Chris comes home and we do the cheering up dance. Or even worse, before I decide you have to deal with Nathan from now on."

"He's all yours, man. That was the deal. And I'm not in a mood, just thinking. Jeez, what is it with everyone thinking something's wrong?"

"Oh, yeah, you're great. And who's everyone? Chris left for his date right after work."

"Rory."

"Figures. Seriously now, dude, what's wrong?"

"I think I'm in love with her."

"Good, you finally figured it out."

"What?" Jess asked confused.

"Me and Chris were placing bets how long it was going to take you until you finally realized it and you won me three beers, just for the record. Thanks. So what the hell are you waiting for, you idiot?"

"I don't know." He shook his head, standing up and heading for the door.

"Jess! Pack some clothes first."

Jess turned around and stared walking towards his room, looking at his friend. "Thanks."

"Idiot." Matt muttered again under his breath, trying not to laugh.

* * *

"I have something to tell you." Jess kissed her again, cupping her face in his right hand.

"What is it?" Rory asked nervously when he pulled back.

"Could we sit down?"

She nodded and let go of his neck, taking his hand in hers and leading them to the armchair that was in the corner of the room. "There's only one of them but…this feels serious. Not the type of conversation that should be had sitting on the bed."

"It's not serious. Well, at least it's not a bad serious. Promise." He smirked and she smiled back, squeezing his hand.

"Then just tell me already before I go crazy!"

Jess just took his hand out of hers and cupped her face, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He took a deep breath, looking at her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"I love you."

"You…what?"

"I love you." Jess repeated and Rory looked at him, trying to process what he'd said. When his words finally sunk in, she crashed her mouth to his, putting her hands over his. Pulling back, she smiled back at him.

"I love you too."

Jess just let go of her face, hugging her while she wrapped her arms around him as well. He tangled his hand in her hair and kissed her temple, making her smile even harder. She lifted her head again and placed a small kiss on his lips.

"It's so good to see you."

"Finally some excitement." His smile turned back to his usual smirk as she just shook her head, giggling.

"Now I am happy. I was worried earlier."

"Why?"

"I told you!" She slapped his chest playfully, pushing him down in the armchair and then sitting on one of the arms, her legs sprawled over his. "You were scaring me."

"I didn't mean to." He replied, running his hand over her leg, her robe fallen to the side.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"And paranoia." He smirked again and she just leaned closer to him, trying to keep her balance, and kissed his cheek.

"I had a right to be scared. I never thought you'd be the big romantic gesture guy."

"I don't believe this counts as a big romantic gesture. I had something I wanted to tell you, I drove over and told you." He tried not to squirm but she moved so that she was now straddling him and ran her hands through his hair, kissing him.

"It counts. There no way you can get out of this one. Or take it back."

"I have no intention of taking it back." He pushed her robe to the side and put his hands on her hips, smiling when he saw she was wearing the t-shirt she had stolen from him. "You still sleep in that?"

Rory blushed, biting her lip. "Yeah. It just…reminds me of you."

"That's because it is mine."

"I know. Don't worry, I'll return it before you leave."

"You can keep it."

"Can I trade it for another one?"

He smirked and tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her in for a kiss. "You can do whatever you want."

"I love you." She repeated and Jess pulled her in for another kiss.

* * *

Later that night, Rory's head was resting on his chest, her fingers playing with his. She started trailing kisses up his chest, stopping just before she reached his lips.

"I missed you."

"I know." He smiled, lifting his head and kissing her quickly.

"I love you."

"I know that too." He kissed her again, making her smile.

"You're amazing."

"That one I don't agree with." This time, she leaned over and kissed him.

"You don't get to disagree. Not after making me think you were either dying or breaking up with me."

"And that makes me amazing?"

"Nope." She placed yet another small kiss on his lips. "Driving all the way here tonight makes you amazing. Making me this insanely happy. Just being amazing." She kissed him again and he smirked, his fingers playing in her hair.

"So let me see if I got this right….being amazing makes me amazing?"

"Oh, funny." She stuck out her tongue, giggling, then trailed kisses down his jaw. "Just trust me on this one, ok? You are amazing." He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear with his fingers, looking into her eyes, serious again.

"I love you."

Rory kissed him one last time, then fell back on the pillow. "I like hearing you say that." She put her arm over him, her fingers tracing invisible lines on his chest. "Not driving away immediately after you say it makes it so much better."

He chuckled, stopping her hand with his and lifting it, placing a kiss on her palm. "Low blow, Rory."

"Hey, if you get to mock the 'drive safe', I should be allowed to make fun of that one."

"Not one of my best moments." He cringed at the memory, squeezing her hand.

"It's ok. None of that matters any more. We get to laugh at it now because we finally have a fair chance of working out."

Jess turned to his side, putting his hand on her hip and kissing her softly.

"We will work out. Promise."

"I know." She smiled and lifted her head, crushing her mouth to his. When she pulled back, Jess smiled, kissing her forehead.

"You should get some sleep. You have work tomorrow."

"You must be exhausted. Working all day and then driving all the way here." She countered, her fingers slowly playing with his hair. "I'll go to sleep if you go to sleep."

"Fair enough, I suppose." He kissed her one more time, then lied back down on his pillow. Rory turned around and he followed, pulling the duvet higher up their bodies, his arm wrapped loosely around her waist. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder while she put her arm over his, tangling their fingers together.

"Good night, Ror."

"Can you…tell me that again?" She asked him, biting her lip.

Jess smiled and kissed her shoulder again. "I love you."

Rory's smile grew even bigger and she squeezed his hand. "I love you too."


	23. Confession

**A/N: I am still in a very fluffy mood, as you'll realize quickly. I am stealing the title of this chapter from one of my favourite poems, Bukowski's _Confession_, as well as borrowing about half of the poem. **

**Thank you for the reviews, you're all too nice to me. I hope you enjoy this. **

* * *

**Confession**

Saturday morning, Rory heard her alarm go off and grumbled, reaching over to turn it off. She sighed and tried to get out of bed but saw Jess' arm still wrapped around her. Smiling, she put her hand around his and tried to lift it off but he stopped her, pulling her closer to him and kissing her shoulder.

"Don't go."

"Have to. Stupid work."

"Ignore work. Stay here with me." He asked her again, placing another kiss on her shoulder.

"Can't." She lifted his hand and kissed it, before crawling out of bed. Pulling her t-shirt down with one hand, she leaned over and kissed his temple softly. "We get to spend the rest of the day together after I get back."

"Guess I'll settle for that." Jess sighed, looking at her.

"I won't be gone for too long." She replied, picking some clothes from a drawer and heading for the bathroom. "Should be back around 1." She said before opening the door.

"Ok."

"Books are in the black bag next to the bed, in case you get bored. Also, there are some sandwiches and a couple of chocolate bars in the mini-fridge if you're hungry."

"Thanks."

"I like having you around when I wake up." She smiled at him before walking in the small bathroom, leaving him looking at the door, smiling as well.

Rory emerged from the bathroom some time later, nicely dressed and ready to leave. She picked up her bag from the floor while Jess watched her from the bed. She checked her bag again, making sure she had everything she needed with her then walked to the front door, looking around the room to see if she had forgotten anything.

"Hey." Jess called from the bed and she turned around to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Dropping her bag on the floor, Rory walked to the bed quickly and kissed him, running her hand through his hair.

"I love you too." She answered when she pulled back and Jess placed another quick kiss on her lips.

"So about this staying here thing…?"

"I'll see you at 1." She answered smiling and kissed him one last time, then walked out of the room, picking her bag up again on the way out.

* * *

Later that day, Rory returned to her hotel room, seeing Jess sitting on the bed, making notes in a book. She dropped her bag and crawled in bed next to him, looking at him while he lifted his finger, continuing to scribble down in the margins.

"Two seconds."

She waited for him to finish, watching him as he tried to put his thoughts down on paper. When he was done, he put the book down on the bedside table and slid down so he could look at her.

"Hey." He whispered, kissing her softly.

"Hey."

"How was work?"

"Boring. Would have loved being here with you instead." She smiled and kissed him, running her hand through his hair. "So which one of my books were you vandalizing this time?"

"Bukowski. Do you mind?"

"The opposite actually. I like reading your notes."

"In that case, I can vandalize more. And I was using a pencil, just in case..."

She lifted her hand and picked a pen that was holding her hair together, handing it to him. "Use this next time."

He chuckled, taking the pen. "You know there are these things called purses and pockets where you can keep those."

"I have no pockets and I don't want to have to rummage through my bag if my pen runs out. It makes sense."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself." He kissed her quickly, trying not to laugh.

"Are you mocking my logic?"

"Yes."

"Well…fine." Rory stuck out her tongue, giggling and he slid closer, until he was almost on top of her, cupping her face in his hand while keeping himself up with the other one. She lifted her head and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I love you. And I'm happy."

"Those two connected in any way?" Jess smirked.

"Yeah." She kissed him again, her fingers playing on his chest. "It's your fault that I am this happy."

"Fault?" He smirked again, trailing kisses across her jaw.

"It's not normal, I tell you. I could barely focus on a word the man said all morning. He could be the next president of the United States and I was sitting there like a schoolgirl, thinking about you."

He finally chuckled and then kissed her, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Keep saying stuff like that and I will turn into a completely smug bastard."

Rory laughed, putting her arm around him, her hand resting on his back. "I don't care. As long as you're my smug bastard."

"Yours? Feeling possessive, Ror?" Jess joked, smirking as his fingers went back to playing with her hair.

"Yes." She answered sneaking her hand under his shirt and kissing him again. "I'm possessive and crazy and so glad that you're here."

* * *

Later that day, they were walking down the street, trying to find a place to eat.

"Ok, I have a question." Rory announced, looking at him.

"Shoot."

"How did you manage to get past reception last night? And in Washington, now that I think of it?"

Jess smirked and looked at her. "Just a trick I picked up in New York."

"Does it involve bribery or flirting?"

"Nope. It involves walking quickly and acting like you're sure of where you're going and what you're doing. Of course, it helps if you're not 16 or look like you belong with The Ramones."

"Can't really picture you as a wannabe Ramone."

"Hey, I had the leather jacket."

"And the attitude." She laughed, squeezing his hand.

"You liked the attitude." He pointed out, kissing her temple.

Rory wrapped her arm around his waist, moving closer to him. "Yeah, I did." He smiled and kissed her temple again, putting his arm around her as well. They reached a small, quiet restaurant and walked in, picking a table by the window. They ordered their food and coffees, then looked at each other, neither one of them wanting to break the comfortable silence. Rory's phone started ringing and she picked it up, seeing her mother's number flashing across the screen.

"Hey, mom."

"_Hi. What's going on?"_

"Nothing much…having lunch with Jess." She smiled, bumping Jess' knee with hers under the table.

"_Isn't it a bit late for…wait, did you say Jess?"_

"Yep. Surprise visit."

"_Oh, fun! I want to hear everything about it when you have time, ok? Well, everything that a mother can know."_

"Sure. I'll call or email you tomorrow."

"_Ok. Now get off the phone and enjoy him while he's there, hon." _

"Thanks."

"_Say 'hi' for me."_

"Will do."

"_Bye."_

"Bye." Rory put her phone back in her purse, then intertwined her fingers through his, her other hand playing with her coffee cup. "Mom says hi."

"Ok. Say hello back when you talk next time."

"Speaking of mothers, has Liz tried calling you lately?"

"Nope." He shook his head. "She talked to Luke about it, though."

"And he's…?"

"Staying out of it."

"Wise."

"Have you talked to Emily?"

"She calls from time to time, we exchange pleasantries. I suppose I'll have to go to dinner next time I'm around."

"My offer to accompany you still stands." He smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Thanks. Don't know when I'll be in Connecticut next, so it doesn't matter. She tried to drag mom into it, though."

"Wow…don't I feel loved." He answered sarcastically while she smiled, lifting his hand and placing a soft kiss on his palm.

"Mom's trying to stay out of it as well as far as grandma's concerned, but apparently she explained the fact that she doesn't want to listen to Emily voicing her opinions. Loudly."

"So now Lorelai likes me? Or at least doesn't hate me anymore?"

"I think that she finally got what I've been trying to tell her since we met – that if she gives you half a chance, you're not all that bad." She smiled, making a face and Jess chuckled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"So now I've been downgraded from amazing and all that to not that bad. In a few hours I'll be down to jerk."

"Only if you don't kiss me anytime soon." He leaned over and placed a small kiss on her lips and Rory ran her hand through his hair, looking into his eyes. "It's so great to have you here." He just squeezed her hand again, smiling.

* * *

The next day, Jess picked up his bag from the floor and looked at Rory who was waiting by the door.

"Like ripping off a band-aid, right?"

"Yeah." She tried to smile but couldn't, so she walked to him and hugged him, closing her eyes tightly to keep tears away. "I love you."

Jess pulled back a bit, kissing her, then rested his forehead against hers. "Love you too."

She finally smiled weakly, biting her lip. "Go."

"Ok." He nodded softly and kissed her quickly, then picked up his bag again and walked out of the room, waving one last time before closing the door. When he was gone, Rory threw herself on the bed, looking around the room to make sure everything was packed and ready for her to leave in a few hours, then picked her phone and dialed her mother's number.

"Hey, mom."

"_I want to hear everything!" _

She smiled and picked up a pillow, sliding up the bed and resting against the headboard. "Friday night…"

Later that night, Jess walked in his apartment, dropping his bag on the floor next to the front door. Spotting his flatmates on the couch, he walked to the kitchen and picked up a soda, then sat down in one of the armchairs.

"So, how did it go?" Matt enquired, turning the sound on the TV down.

"Went well. All's good."

"That's it? Details."

"How about I just get you a subscription to _US Weekly_ instead?"

"How about you accept that I have a pathological need to know everything and just tell me how it went?"

"Wait 'til tomorrow. I need some sleep now."

"Worn out?" Matt joked, cocking an eyebrow and Jess shook his head, trying not to laugh.

"Go to hell."

"Someday, most likely."

"If you need any help getting there, it will be my pleasure."

"Go to bed, you're delirious. You forgot how much you adore me." Matt announced grinning and Jess stood up, while Chris shook his head at his friend's antics.

"You think he needs professional help?"

"Urgently. You hold him down, I'll call the men in white coats." Jess agreed picking up his bag from the floor and walking to his bedroom. "Night."

"Night." The other two answered simultaneously. Once he got in his room, Jess closed the door behind him and opened his bag, getting ready to throw the clothes in the hamper but spotted a note on top of them. Forgetting about the clothes, he picked up the piece of paper and sat on the bed, unfolding it carefully.

"_Dear Jess,_

_You think you're the only one who can leave notes in my bag? _

_Right now, I'm trying to do my job and listen to what's being said but my mind is flying and I feel like I'm back in high school, so here I am, writing this note instead. _

_I don't know what I was thinking when I kissed you that night at my birthday party. Ok, that came out wrong. Actually, I don't know if I was thinking(not much better, is it? I have a point, trust me) when I kissed you or when I wrote that first letter. I knew that things could be good between us and we could be happy together but I never dreamed we would work so well. I think there was still a part of me that was weary of being hurt or hurting you again and I am so glad I got over that and this is happening. Because this is good, isn't it? I'd say better than good, great in fact. I hope you agree. The distance thing is the only thing keeping it away from perfect._

_You have no idea how amazing it felt hearing you say we will work out. I'm just immensely happy when you're around and hearing that…I love you. I don't think there's anything else I can say. I'm sorry I'm not making much sense, it's hard to understand what I'm feeling when the only thing I want is to be back in that hotel room with you. _

_I have no idea why I'm writing this instead of just telling you. I guess I'm just hoping you'll get home and find it and hopefully it will make you happy. Because you make me so happy I want to do something to at least try and do the same for you. And I think I've just reached the record for most times the word 'happy' has been used in a note. I make a living out of writing and yet I can't seem to be able to write a coherent note. _

_I can't wait until we can find a way to see each other more. I don't know when that will be, but I really can't wait. I think I'll just stop writing this now before I ramble any more. See, you're not the only one who can ramble in notes._

_Love, _

_Rory."_

* * *

That night, after trying in vain to fall asleep on the bus, Rory opened her purse and picked up a book, turning on the small reading light and opening the book at a random page. Running her fingers over his words scribbled in the margins, she flicked through the pages, spotting a few words written in blue ink.

_He says it much better than I ever will. Just skip the first part. _

Moving her eyes to the printed words, she saw the second half of the poem underlined with a faint pencil line. She read the lines smiling and biting her lip, trying not to start crying when her coworkers could see her.

"_I want to_

_let her know _

_though_

_that all the nights_

_sleeping_

_beside her_

_even the useless_

_arguments_

_were things_

_ever splendid_

_and the hard _

_words_

_I ever feared to _

_say _

_can now be _

_said:_

_I love_

_you."_


	24. Not an Ikea life

**A/N: Thank you for te reviews. I've had a few really bad days lately and it's nice to know people still like this story. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**

* * *

Not an Ikea life**

Two months later, on a Tuesday evening, Rory picked up her phone and called Jess.

"Hi." He greeted her from the other end of the phone and she bit her lip, trying not to blurt out her news.

"Guess where I'll be next week!"

"Arizona?"

"Nope. Closer."

"Nebraska."

"Even closer."

"You mean you might actually be within driving distance? Ohio?" Jess tried to guess again.

"Wrong again. And how is Ohio within driving distance?"

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a long time. If you're less than a day's drive away, it's driving distance."

Rory blushed, smiling and looked down at her feet. "It's less than that."

"New York?"

"Even better."

"You don't actually mean you'll be in…?"

"Philadelphia!" She announced, grinning excitedly.

"You're serious?" He asked, wanting to be sure he had heard right.

"Yeah. They changed the schedule. I'm getting there on Sunday afternoon."

"And staying?"

"A week."

"So…do you have to stay in a hotel?" He asked sheepishly. "Because, you know, you could stay here. If you don't mind the madness and sharing a flat with me and 2 other guys."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah. You know, the economy isn't all that great. You could save some money. I'm sure your boss wouldn't mind that." He took a deep breath before he continued. "And I'd love to have you here." He finally admitted and she smiled playfully.

"I might consider it if there's a possibility of you cooking for me."

"That could be negotiated." Jess smirked.

"In that case, I'll stay with you. Just to save Hugo money. Don't fool yourself into thinking that it's because I want to spend time with you or anything."

"I'd never dare think such a thing." He chuckled softly.

"I can't wait to see you, Jess. I miss you. Badly."

"Five more days and you will."

"Five more days…" Rory smiled again.

* * *

That night, Jess walked into the kitchen, looking for something to eat and he ran into Chris, who was sitting at the table, looking frustrated at a manuscript.

"I hate this book, I hate my job, I hate my life!"

"A positive outlook."

Chris looked up, throwing the pen on the table. "'Cause you're so damn cheerful all the time."

"Just part of my charm."

"You look different tonight." The young man noted as Jess opened the fridge, looking around. "I think you're almost smiling. What happened?"

"Nothing bad."

"Well obviously, otherwise you wouldn't be smiling."

Giving up on the empty fridge, Jess opened the take-away drawer and pulled a menu, looking over it. "Rory's coming to Philadelphia on Sunday."He tried to sound calm and cool.

"Does that mean I'll get to see a happy version of you? Because I don't know if I'll be able to deal with that."

"You keep talking like I just spend all my time barking at you."

"Nope, I just don't think I've ever seen you really happy. I've seen you in a good mood, quite a lot lately if I might add, but don't think I've seen you happy."

"Don't psychoanalyze me."

"I'm not. Just making a general observation. So is she staying here?"

"If it's ok with you and Matt."

"Hey, you pay rent as well. And having a new face around for a while might be fun."

"Be nice to her or I'll kill you."

"I know, I know. Plus, she has all the good high school stories about you. We can trade. I'm sure she'd love to hear about…ok, I can't think of any embarrassing stories right now, but I'm sure I'll remember something."

"I hope you don't."

"How about Christmas 3 years ago?"

"How about you don't remember anything?" Jess chuckled, picking up the phone from a counter. "Chinese?"

"Yeah, sure." Looking at the papers in front of him again, Chris pushed them away. "Screw this."

"Wise choice. So, where's Matt?"

"Downstairs, on the phone with one of his poets."

"You ever feel guilty for making him deal with all the poets?" Jess smirked, handing his friend the take-away menu.

"Once in a while. And then I remember I'd kill them. So would you. Which leaves him as our only no bloodshed option."

"Or we could stop publishing poetry."

"That would just take the fun out of life." Chris laughed, picking up the menu from the table.

A few minutes later, Matt walked in the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"It's empty. We're getting Chinese. Want to join us?" Jess asked the other man and he nodded, picking up a can of Coke and sitting down on one of the chairs.

"What's new?"

"We've decided to do you a favor and publishing poetry. You always seem to be annoyed by your poets; we just thought it might be the best choice." Jess joked, trying not to laugh.

"What? No!" Matt protested, looking at Jess. "I know I can complain but I can stop complaining and I don't mind dealing with them and you have to remember that we actually sell enough poetry books to justify still publishing them and…you were kidding." He finally realized when he saw the other two men laughing. "Jerk." He mumbled, punching Jess in the arm.

"I do my best."

"Just remember – I know where you live." He replied, grinning while trying to stay serious at the same time.

"I'm terrified." Jess chuckled again before picking the phone up again. "So, what will it be?"

A few minutes later, after they ordered their food, they were sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for time to pass.

"Did anything actually happen in the hour I was dealing with work while you were….oh, what's the word? Oh, yeah, not."

"Hey, I was editing this!" Chris lifted his hands in the air, then pointed towards the manuscript on the table.

"And gave up after…? Twenty minutes? Half an hour?"

"Almost 45 minutes, I'll have you know."

"Impressive."

"Jess, would you like to share your big news?" Chris looked at him and he shook his head.

"He's going to find out eventually, even if I don't tell him."

"Wait…don't tell me. Let me guess!" Matt took a deep breath before looking straight into Jess' eyes. "Jess, are you pregnant?" He asked dramatically, grinning at the same time.

Chuckling, Jess nodded. "I've been trying to find a way to tell you. It's yours."

"It was one night! That's all! I'm too young to be a father!" He sighed, then put his hand on Jess' shoulder. "It's ok. We'll get through this together. I'll be there for you and our child."

"It's official, you're certifiable."

"I love you too, honey." Matt grinned again. "Seriously though, what's your big news?"

"Rory's coming over on Sunday."

"Fun! Chris, think we can trade fun stories with her? Get some dirt on teenage Jess?"

"I was thinking we can trade the Christmas story for information."

"Oh, no, I'm saving that one for his wedding."

"You're working under the wrong assumption that you'd be invited to my wedding." Jess chimed in.

"I'm not? Honey, I'm hurt."

"That's two. Call me that one more time and you'll be really hurt. As in bleeding from the head hurt."

"How about…?"

"No." Jess cut him off, smirking. "No names, no stories, nothing that will result in me having to strangle you. And both of you will be on your best behavior while Rory is here or I am going to have to find new roommates after you two will mysteriously disappear never to be heard from again. Got it?"

"Chris, I think he really likes her." Matt looked at Chris and he nodded.

"You think they'll feed each other and be all cutesy? I'm betting 3 days before the first 'no, I love you more' conversation."

Jess stood up, chuckling. "I give up. You're both crazy. Call me when the food is here." As soon as he finished he sentence, he walked out of the kitchen, leaving the other two men alone.

* * *

Sunday afternoon Jess was waiting outside of the hotel parking lot for Rory's bus to get there. He pulled his book out of his pocket and tried to read. After the third time he tried to understand the same sentence despite having read the book approximately 2 and a half thousand times he put it back in his pocket and leaned against a wall, playing with his car keys and waiting for time to pass. A few minutes later, he saw a bus pull in the parking lot and he put back the keys, then straightened up, running his hand nervously through his hair. Before he could start pacing, Rory walked out of the parking lot, dragging a suitcase behind her and spotted him. Dropping the suitcase, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as she could and he responded, tangling one hand in her hair.

"It's so good to see you." She whispered and he pulled back, crushing his mouth to hers while his fingers played with a strand of her hair. When he pulled back she smiled and took a deep breath. "Really, really…" She placed a small kiss on his lips. "…Good to see you."

"Really?" He chuckled, kissing her again.

"Yeah." She laughed, hugging him again. "And just for the record, this went much better in my head."

"Huh…and how exactly should this have gone?"

"I was supposed to be much more articulate. Instead of just repeatedly telling you just how great seeing you is."

Jess smirked and hugged her close to him again, kissing her temple. "I missed you."

"Even the rambling?"

"Even that. Or especially that, I haven't decided yet." He chuckled and kissed her again, then let go of her and picked up her suitcase from the ground. "Let's get out of here." Rory nodded and took his free hand, and they both started walking towards his car. As soon as they reached the car, Jess opened the trunk and dropped her suitcase in it, then started walking towards the door but Rory stepped in front of him, her hands clutching his shirt and pulled him closer to her, kissing him.

"What was that for?" He asked when she pulled back, smirking as he pushed her hair away and placed a soft kiss on her neck.

"It's just been too long."

"2 whole minutes." He smirked.

"Far too long." Rory smiled back, kissing him again. "We can go now."

"You're crazy."

"I'm happy."

"Those two are not mutually exclusive." He laughed, hugging and kissing her temple one more time before they both got in the car. After a few minutes of driving in silence, Jess turned around and looked at her quickly.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"You're quiet."

"I'm nervous." She admitted, looking at him.

"Why?"

"It's silly." She bit her lip, turning her head to look out the window.

"Ror, I've seen you cry over _Bambi_."

"I told you not to bring that up!"

"Sorry." He lifted one hand in the air, smirking then glanced in her direction again. "Seriously though, why are you nervous?"

"I want your friends to like me."

"You're worried because you think Matt and Chris won't like you?"

"Yeah…"

"You are crazy." He chuckled, squeezing her hand quickly, his eyes not leaving the road. "3 hours after meeting you, they'll be asking you to move in with them while simultaneously packing my bags and kicking me out on the street."

"Don't mock my silliness."

"I'm not. Rory, they'll like you."

"You sure?"

"Willing to bet on it."

"Thanks." She smiled, looking at him and ran her hand through his hair softly.

"Eh, well, remember that gratitude when I'm sleeping on the streets tonight."

"I'll throw you a blanket." She laughed.

"Great." He deadpanned, trying not to laugh. Pulling the car in front of a building, he got out and Rory followed him, holding her book bag. Jess picked up her suitcase from the trunk, then locked the door, taking her free hand and placing a quick kiss on her lips. "Don't be nervous." She squeezed his hand, smiling and they both walked inside the bookstore. As soon as they closed the door behind them, a young man looked up from a stack of papers.

"Hey."

"Still no call back from the printing press?" Jess asked, dropping Rory's suitcase on the floor while she stood next to him.

"Not yet."

"Idiots."

"They'll call. I plan on being very not nice when they do. Miss Manners will blush in her grave."

"She's still alive."

"Then which one's the dead one?"

"Emily Post." Rory interjected.

"Thanks." He stood up, finally noticing that she was in the room. "Sorry, I was distracted. I'm Chris."

"Rory." She shook his hand and smiled softly, while he looked at her.

"You are a very lucky bastard, Jess."

Jess smirked, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissed her temple while she blushed, looking down at her feet. "I know."

Chris tried to say something but was interrupted by the phone ringing. He picked it up, then looked back at Jess and Rory, covering the phone with his hand. "It's the printing guy."

"Ok. Have fun." Jess chuckled, then picked up Rory's suitcase again. "We'll be upstairs. Shout if you need anything."

"Will do. I'll be up as soon as I'm done with this." With that, he went back to listening to what the man on the other end of the phone was saying and Jess pointed to the stairs. "That way." Rory nodded and started walking up the stairs and he followed, carrying the suitcase. As soon as they walked in the small hallway, he put the suitcase back down on the floor then pointed to the door.

"It's pretty basic. Front door."

"I assumed as much." She smiled.

He leaned over and kissed her quickly before opening the door. "Living room. Matt." He pointed to the man lying on the couch, clutching a box of Kleenex. "You'll have to ignore him, he has a cold so he thinks he's dying."

"I am, I really am!" He sighed dramatically from the couch. "Hey." He waved and Rory smiled at him. "Hi."

"We tried telling him that no one has died from a cold in a long time."

"But what if I have some deadly strand that will kill me? You'll miss me when I'm gone."

"Not really." Jess smirked.

"I see that not even you being here has made him any nicer." Matt looked at Rory. "How do you deal with him?"

"He has his good parts." She smiled, squeezing Jess' hand.

"Ok, so continuing the tour…" Jess pointed to a door. "That's the kitchen. The coffee is in there."

"Not big on cooking?" Matt asked her.

"Nope." Rory laughed.

"The understatement of the year." Jess smirked.

"That's what I have you for." She kissed his cheek quickly.

"Aw, how cute." Matt chuckled. "Positively adorable."

"Die."

"And he's back to his charming self."

"That's Matt's room over there…" He pointed to a closed door. "Chris' room." He pointed to another door. "Their bathroom." He pointed to a third door.

"He got lucky and won the bedroom with the bathroom. We still hate him for it."

"Hey, I offered to switch."

"You do not break the rules of rock, paper, scissors."

"That's how you picked rooms? How does that work in three?" Rory asked.

"Don't ask." Jess chuckled. "Alcohol made it seem like a good idea at the time."

"I don't think I want to know the rest of this story." She smiled.

"Wise choice." Matt chimed in from the couch.

"My room's the one over here." Jess pointed to a door on the opposite side of the room. "We should go drop this." He looked at the suitcase that was on the floor, next to him. "And get away from Matt."

"What if I die here, all alone?" He asked, coughing dramatically.

"Chris will be up in a bit. He was on the phone with the guy at the printing press. Scream before you die and I might call an ambulance."

"Ungrateful! Rory, do something!"

"Don't worry, I'll make him call an ambulance. Or call one myself. I won't let you just die here."

"Thank you." He smiled from the couch, picking up the remote again and Rory and Jess walked to the small bedroom. Once they were inside, Jess closed the door behind them, turning on the lights and dropping the suitcase. "This is where the tour ends."

"It's nice." Rory looked around the room, noticing the stacks of books everywhere. "So is there a bed around here or do you just sleep on the floor, next to the books?"

"It doesn't exactly say _"I'm Jack's Ikea life."_. And there is a bed over there." He smiled, wrapping his arm around her from behind, while pointing to the bed and kissing her shoulder.

"I like it." She turned around, running her hand through his hair and kissed him softly. "It's very you."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Really good thing."

"I emptied the top drawer for you, just in case you feel like unpacking and not living from your suitcase for a week." He smiled, pointing to a dresser.

"I get a drawer?"

"If you want it."

Rory hugged him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. "I love you."

"For emptying you a drawer?" He smirked, pulling back a bit and kissing her temple.

"For everything."

"I love you too."


	25. Date, home, call

**A/N: Should I tell you again how amazing you are, guys? Thank you for the reviews, I can't believe this story that should have been 4 chapters long is now at 25 :). I love hearing that people still like it. Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this one. **

**

* * *

Date, home, call**

Later that night, Rory was in the kitchen, watching Jess cook.

"This never gets old." She smiled happily, standing up and wrapping her arms around him, kissing the back of his neck.

"What? Watching me slave for you?"

"I should get you an outfit. And a chef's hat. Definitely a hat."

"Only if you plan on eating take-away for the rest of the week. And getting one of those little French maid dresses for your birthday."

Kissing his neck again, she smiled, running her fingers across his abdomen. "As long as you don't expect me to do any actual kitchen cleaning. I hate doing dishes."

"Trust me…" He turned around, putting the knife down and looking at her. "If you were wearing that, cleaning would be the last thing on my mind." He kissed her, and she moved her hands up, her fingers playing with his hair.

"Really?" She smiled playfully, kissing the corner of his mouth. "And what exactly would be on your mind?"

"If you have any intention of having dinner any time soon, you will not ask that again. But be assured that as soon as this is over, I will demonstrate exactly what would be on my mind."

Hooking her fingers through the loops on his jeans, she pulled him closer, attacking his mouth. "Good." She whispered when she pulled back and he smirked, pushing her hair out of the way and quickly kissing her neck.

"Devil."

"I try." She smiled again, then let go of him, sitting back in her chair. "Now go on, finish dinner."

He chuckled, shaking his head and turned around, trying to focus on cooking. A few minutes later, Matt walked in the room, sighing and still holding the box of Kleenex.

"Sorry. I'm just here for the take-away menu."

"I'm making dinner." Jess turned around to look at him.

"I can see that. That's why I said sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"As in 'I'm making dinner for all of us.' That includes you. Geez, this cold is affecting your brain."

Sitting down, Matt looked at Rory and smiled. "Can you move in with us? I could get used to this."

Looking at her over his shoulder, Jess smirked. "Told you so."

"Why do I have a feeling I'm missing something here?" Matt asked.

"That's because you are." Jess replied, moving in front of the stove.

"Aw, well don't I feel unloved."

"That's also because you are." He repeated, smirking.

"Rory, make him be nice to me."

"If only I had the power." She laughed, looking at Jess.

"I'll settle for having him make dinner in that case."

"Wise." She smiled again.

"So…Rory…" Matt looked at her, a playful smile on his lips. "Anything you can tell me about teenage Jess? Any stories that I can use to torture him for the next 10 to 20 years?"

"I'm afraid I cannot answer that…while he's in the room." She looked at Jess and he turned around, trying to stay serious.

"I think what you were trying to say is that you're afraid you can never answer that."

"Oh, no, I was trying to say exactly what I said. Mom says I need to get dirt on you."

"Matt, tell her anything and die. She will never use anything. Lorelai, however, will torture me for the rest of my life."

"You should not have said that." Matt grinned looking back at Rory. "We'll arrange a trade as soon as he's not here."

"I have a very good story involving swans." Rory grinned and Jess turned around again.

"How do you know about that?"

"Luke told mom. She shared."

"Remind me to kill him next time I see him."

"Oh, I need to know this! Must, must hear this story!" Matt leaned over the table, looking at Rory. "Swans?"

"And a ladle!"

"I will kill him." Jess sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Hey, at least he didn't push you in the lake that time."

"Jess got pushed in a lake?"

Sitting down on a chair, Jess looked at Matt. "Yes."

"I'm just going to assume this one was because of your lovely personality."

"Why did he push you? I don't think I ever got that part of the story." Rory asked, squeezing his hand under the table.

"My lovely personality." He looked at Matt, smirking. "He was mad, I was mad, we both yelled, I ended up in the lake."

"He must have been disappointed when you didn't drown."

"You can't always get what you want, now can you?" Jess chuckled again, standing up. Walking to Rory, he kissed the top of her head. "Please don't tell him about the swan." Looking at Matt as he walked to the stove again, he pointed his finger at him. "Don't say a word."

"How about if I 'aw' suggestively?"

"As long as you remember I have a variety of knives around me, sure. Go ahead."

"I'm just going to sit here quietly in that case." Matt decided.

"Good call."

A few minutes later, Jess turned around and looked at Rory. "Can you get some plates? Top left cabinet."

"Sure." She stood up and took out the plates, then walked close to Jess, putting the 4 plates next to him on the counter. He dropped the food in the plates and they each took 2, dropping them on the table. "Cutlery?"

"In there." He pointed to a drawer and she got out the forks and knives, putting them next to the plates.

"Aw, now that was cute."

"You're insane." Jess decided, then opened the door to the living room. "Chris, dinner."

"Really?" The young man asked, looking away from the TV.

"Are you going to question it or come eat?"

"I'm coming!" Chris shot up, walking to the kitchen and joining the other three. As soon as he sat down, Matt looked at him, a victorious smile on his face.

"Apparently Rory has dirt on him. And it involves swans."

"Shoot me." Jess sighed.

* * *

Later that night, back in Jess' bedroom.

Rory sighed happily, trailing kisses up his chest, stopping just before she reached his mouth. "I definitely missed this."

"Oh, yeah?" He smirked and she leaned closer, kissing him.

"Yeah."

He cupped her face in his hand, his fingers playing with a strand of hair. "What…no guys on that bus of yours willing to help?"

"None that I love." She smiled, placing another kiss on his lips.

"Good." He lifted his head and kissed her softly. "Otherwise I'd have to get very jealous."

"You have no reason to be jealous, I promise."

"Good." He repeated, smiling and she kissed him again before crashing back down and resting her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes of silence, he kissed the top of her head, his fingers playing in her hair. "What are you thinking about?"

"I just…" She looked up at him, then bit her lip. "Never mind."

"Say it."

"Nope. Just forget about it." She moved to the pillow next to him, running her fingers across his jaw. "It's nothing."

"Now I'm really curious." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "Say it."

"And you won't laugh?"

"I'll do my best not to laugh, how's that?"

"Good enough, I guess." She smiled. "It's just…you know we've never been on an actual date?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really. I think it's odd, that's all."

"How about the Distillers concert in high school?"

"Doesn't count. You're supposed to get ready for a date, not wear earplugs."

"Depends on the definition of date we're using. The whole basket thing?"

"I was still dating Dean. I don't care what definition we use, you cannot go on a date when you're with someone else."

"Winter carnival?"

"To which you only agreed to go because you saw Dean? Sure, that's going to count."

"So you want us to go on a date?" He smirked, trying not to laugh.

"It's stupid, isn't it?"

"Yes." He finally started laughing and Rory picked up a pillow, smacking him with it.

"You don't have to be mean." She stuck out her tongue and he took the pillow away from her, throwing it on the floor, then grabbed her hands, pulling her on top of him.

"I wasn't mean." He kissed her quickly while she was unsuccessfully trying to pout. "However, I am willing to offer a compromise."

"Let's hear it."

"You don't tell the swan story and Friday night, we go out for a date. You, me, dinner, movie, whatever you want."

"Deal." She kissed him and he finally let go of her hands, tangling his in her hair instead.

"Would you care to explain where exactly this idea came from, now that I've agreed to it?"

"You'll laugh again." She smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"There's a possibility."

"I just haven't felt pretty in a while. I want to get dressed up, wear a nice dress, maybe some make-up."

Chuckling, he pulled in for another kiss. "A short dress?"

"Very." She smiled.

"Then you could have just said that and I would have agreed."

Giggling, she leaned in and kissed him, catching his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers together. "The easy way? Never."

Flipping them around, he kissed her softly, squeezing her hand. "You are beautiful, you know that, right?" He whispered softly, the flirty tone in his voice being replaced by a more serious one.

"I love you." She replied, her voice equally serious and he just kissed her, squeezing her hand again.

* * *

The next afternoon, Rory walked into Truncheon, finding Matt sitting at a desk, a red pen in his hand and looking over a stack of papers.

"Hey." She smiled softly, looking at the young man.

"Hi." He looked up, putting his pen up. "How was work?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I see you're still working."

"I find the downstairs way less distracting. No TV in here." He smiled.

"I know that feeling."

"Jess is upstairs." Matt smiled, knowing who she was looking for.

"Thanks. I'll let you focus on that then." She started heading towards the stairs but Matt's voice stopped her.

"Any chance I can hear that swan story right now?"

"I've been bribed not to tell you." She replied, laughing.

"Damn."

"Sorry." She smiled again before heading up the stairs. She walked in the living room and saw it was empty, then turned around and saw Jess standing in the kitchen, looking at the coffee machine. Walking to him, she wrapped her arms around him from the side, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Trying to will it into making coffee faster?"

"And I suppose you've never tried that." He smirked, turning his head around and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Hey."

"Hi. So what's with the desperate need for caffeine?"

"Not enough sleep last night." He looked at her, pulling her in front of him. "You might have something to do with that. And people are annoying."

"Bad day at work?"

"Is there ever a good Monday at work?"

"Don't think so." She smiled and kissed him, her fingers playing in his hair. "This is nice, though."

"What is? Me trying to win a staring contest against the coffee machine?"

"Coming home from work and having you around. I could get used to it."

"Home?" He smiled, cupping her face in his hand.

"Hey, I've been living in hotels for almost a year now. Any place that doesn't have pillow mints is home. And I didn't mean anything by it, Jess. Please don't think that I'm trying to do anything or force too much commitment…"

He cut off her rambling with a kiss. "It's nice to have you here as well after a day at work." He hugged her, kissing her temple. "I like that you feel at home here." He admitted and she smiled, kissing his cheek quickly.

"Coffee's ready." She pointed to the coffee maker and he let go of her, picking up two mugs from the sink.

"Wild, crazy guess here but I'm going to assume you want some."

"Me? Coffee? Never!" She laughed while he poured coffee in the two mugs.

"Isn't denying your coffee addiction breaking one of the Gilmore rules?"

"Don't tell mom." She smiled as he put the two mugs on the table and sat down. Kissing him one more time, she sat down next to him when she finally realized something. "I forgot to call mom yesterday."

"And she hasn't called you?"

Rory picked up her phone from her pocket. "Nope."

"Weird. Go ahead, call. I'll drink my coffee and try to enjoy the fact that I have 15 hours straight of not dealing with printers and writers and bookshops and a whole other variety of whack jobs."

"Ok." She pushed the speed dial number, waiting for the her mother to pick up.

"_Oh, look she is alive!"_

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry."

"_It's ok."_ Lorelai smiled at the other end of the phone. _"I was young and in love once. How's being with the hoodlum?"_

"He has a name, you might remember. I know you're growing old, mom, but really now. And it's great. Really great." She smiled at Jess and he smiled back.

"_Ah! First forgetting to call and now telling me I'm old! I'm just…I have no words."_

"That would be a first."

"_Why are you being mean to your mother? I have done nothing but to love you and sit here patiently waiting for your call."_

"You're going to use this one for guilt trip purposes for the next 10 years, aren't you?"

"_Well, you were otherwise a very good child. I have very few things I can use." _

"I don't know if I should apologize or not for that one."

"_Hm…I don't know either. I'll think about it and get back to you. But for the most important question- have you gotten any stories about Jess?"_

"Nope."

"_I have taught you nothing. I think I need to have another child now just to make sure I do a better job!"_

"Hey!" She protested.

"_I mean, I even got the swan story for you and you just…I'm disappointed, Rory."_

"You'll live. And I will try. I still have time."

"_You better get me something good that I can use. Otherwise, I'll have to get a pet swan and have it follow him around every time he's in town."_

"I said I'll try."

"_Good girl. I might even forgive you for calling me old."_

"Anything new going on Stars Hollow?"

"_Now that you mention it…guess what's going on this weekend?"_

"I don't know. What did Taylor plan? Please tell me he gave up on the idea of a Walk-a-thon."

"_Yes, he has. No, this is an established event, with a great tradition."_

"I…" She paused, trying to think of all the possibilities. "…have no idea."

"_The Bid-A-Basket!"_

"Wasn't that supposed to be a couple of months ago?"

"_But if we organize it in February it's way too close to the Winter Carnival, Lorelai, and do you have any idea how bad that is for the town? The tourists won't know when to come!"_ She tried to sound as much like Taylor as she could. _"And this way we cover April nicely because I really couldn't stand having an empty month after we had the misfortune of having to cancel the tulip show!" _

"You sound just enough like him to make me worry."

"_I've heard this lecture about ten times already. And you know what the best thing about this is?"_

"What?"

"_This year, I have a husband that I can force to participate! This is it, I now have a man to buy my carefully prepared basket!"_

"Yes, only said husband is not supposed to prepare it as well."

"_He's a multitasker." _

"Aw, man, I can't believe I'm going to miss it!" Rory sighed, making Jess look at her.

"Miss what?"

"The Bid-A-Basket festival."

"When is it?"

"This weekend. Taylor moved it."

"And ruined tradition? I'm disappointed." He smirked.

"He's failing in his old age."

"_Hey!"_ Lorelai cried over the phone. _"You were talking to me! He gets to see you and talk to you way more than I do! I demand all your attention!"_

"Sorry." She returned to her phone conversation.

"_Better." _

"So how did you convince Luke to take part in this?"

"_I haven't yet but I have my ways. They involve begging and a really annoying voice."_

"More annoying than usual?" She smiled.

"_Ok, now you are officially being mean! The hoodlum is a bad influence."_

"Are you ever going to stop calling him that?"

"_I can switch to punk, if you prefer?"_

"Not really."

"_Teenage delinquent? My mother seems to be quite fond of that one."_

"How was Friday night dinner?"

"_Still awkward. But hey, what else is new? She'll get over it eventually. She got over me marrying Luke. Now she even talks to him. And has not made a comment about the truck or the diner in months!"_

"Grandma's finally learning to play nice?"

"_I believe she's just tired of being passive-aggressive. Don't worry, she'll turn around on Jess as well. It will just take her…oh, 10 or so years."_

"So I shouldn't hold my breath?"

"_Not unless you want to turn an unattractive shade of purple."_

"I'm kind of used to this being alive thing."

"_And we prefer you this way."_

Rory sipped from her coffee mug. "Even when you think I'm being mean to you?"

"_I haven't seen you in a long time and I miss you. I shall forgive your moments of weakness."_

"How nice of you. And I miss you too, mom." She smiled sadly and Jess squeezed her free hand.

_"Well, I am a very nice person."_

"I'm pleading the fifth on this one."

_"That settles it, you are awful. And my husband is now home and I have to talk him into that thing we talked about earlier and I think he heard that and now he's glaring at me, say 'hi' to Rory, Luke!"_ Lorelai rambled quickly and Rory heard the man's voice at the other end of the phone. _"Ok, he says hi."_

"Say hi back."

_"She says hi back."_

"Good. Now go use your charm on him and convince him to make his basket and eat it too!"

_"Heh…maybe I should make him bake a cake as well."_

"You're pushing your luck. Bye, mom."

_"Bye, sweets. Remember to call."_

"Will do."

_"Great. Bye."_ Lorelai turned off the phone and Rory put hers back on the table. Standing up, she walked to Jess and he stood up as well, pulling her into a hug, while she wrapped her arms tightly around him. Looking at him, she smiled sadly.

"I love my job but sometimes…I really hate it."


	26. First date

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and for reading this, darlings. You're all absolutely great. You can also go check out my new Lit story, 'Changes'. I hope you enjoy this chapter :). **

**

* * *

**

**First date**

Tuesday morning, Rory opened the door to the room slowly, holding two mugs in her hands, finding Jess sitting up on the bed. Walking to him, she sat on the edge of the bed next to him, putting the mugs on the bedside table.

"Morning." She leaned over and kissed him slowly, smiling. "I made coffee."

"What…no breakfast in bed?" He smirked.

"Not unless you wanted to be woken up by the fire alarm."

"I guess coffee will have to do, then." He pulled her in for another kiss before lifting up a mug and sipping form it. "Are you trying to wake up the dead with this?"

She took the other mug and drank from it. "It's not that strong."

Cocking an eyebrow, he looked at her.

"I'm a journalist! I'm supposed to live on strong coffee!" She protested and he chuckled, putting the mug back down.

"I'm not complaining. I'm the opposite of complaining." He smiled and she leaned over, placing a trail of soft kisses on his cheek. "In fact, I could get used to this." He mumbled before he kissed her again, his hand tangled in her hair.

"What? Me coming to you in the mornings with coffee?"

"Just you." He whispered, smiling again. "I don't care about the coffee."

"I love you." She whispered against his mouth and kissed him, her fingers tracing soft lines on his face. "And you're a sap in the morning." She giggled when she pulled back.

"You're to blame." Jess pointed out, pulling her back in for another kiss. "I'm happy. And if you ever tell anyone I've admitted that, I will make you pay." He threatened jokingly and she laughed again, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Your secret's safe."

"Thank you." She smiled and kissed him again before he picked up his coffee cup, looking at her. "What time do you get off work today?"

"Around 4.30. Short day today. Why?"

"Wondering if you want to go see a couple of bookshops, maybe stop for coffee."

"Oh, can we go do tourist stuff?" Rory smiled excitedly. "See the Liberty Bell and the Art Museum? Please, Jess, please, please, please?" She begged, making him laugh.

"Do you plan on running up the stairs?"

"Have you lost your mind? I don't run." She announced solemnly, making him chuckle again.

"How about we leave those for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Ok." She accepted, drinking from her mug again. "Now, come on, out of bed or you'll be late for work." She put the mug down and took his hand, trying to drag him up but he pulled her back instead and kissed her, his other hand cupping her face.

"Five more minutes." He kissed her again, smiling. "I'll blame it on traffic."

She chuckled, giving him a quick peck. "Traffic? Was there an accident on the stairs?"

"The couch crashed tried to make a getaway." He laughed as he kissed her again.

* * *

Later that day, they were in a small bookshop, both of them looking at books. As soon as she finished with the shelf she was looking at, Rory walked to him, wrapping her arm around his waist and kissing his cheek.

"This place is heaven."

"I'm glad you like it." He answered, lowering the book he was leafing through.

"I love it." She kissed him softly.

"Haven't found any books you want?" Jess asked when he saw her hands were empty.

"A lot of them, actually. I'm just running out of space in my suitcase and my book bag weighs a ton."

"You know, you could get them and leave the ones you have at my place. I promise no harm will come to them."

"In a room with you and pens? Unlikely." She smiled.

"How about if I promise I won't make notes?"

"Jess, I like your notes. I was joking. Are you sure it would be ok for me to leave them here? Do you have enough room?" She started to question him.

"Are you carrying your entire library with you or what? You don't have to leave them if you don't want to. I was just making a suggestion."

"No, I want to. It's just…are you sure?" She bit her lip, looking away from him.

"Yes." He nodded, slightly confused.

"Really sure?"

"Yes." He nodded again.

Finally breaking into a smile, she kissed him, running her hand through his hair. "Thank you."

"What for?" He asked, trying to understand what was going on in her head.

"Don't try to understand it. It's just the thought of my books being in your house for probably months until I can either get my own place or move them back to mom's makes me happy."

"You're insane." He chuckled as she hugged him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. He kissed her temple, smiling as she started trailing kisses from his neck to his mouth.

"I love you." She smiled before placing one last kiss on his lips. "Now I'm going to go get my books!" She announced, spinning on her heels and heading back for the other shelf, leaving him shaking his head, trying not to laugh.

* * *

Friday afternoon, Rory had kicked Jess out of his bedroom, despite his protests and grumbling and was trying to get ready for their date. Hearing her phone ring, she picked it up, balancing the mascara bottle and brush in her other hand and looking at herself in bathroom mirror.

"I don't have a lot of time."

"_I think Luke's gone crazy!"_ Lorelai sighed from the other end of the phone.

"Why?"

"_He's making my basket for tomorrow and he is making a ton of food."_

"Mom, he's seen you eat." She tried to reassure her mother while putting mascara with one hand.

"_This is not normal feeding my portion. This is an 'I am trying to feed everyone in town plus any relatives they may have visiting. And give them leftovers.' portion."_

"You're sure?" She asked, putting the brush back in the bottle.

"_Let me put this into perspective for you: Sookie has less food than that for her basket. And this is the woman who actually makes her own basket!" _

"Wow…"

"_Yeah!"_ Lorelai sighed. _"I think there's something wrong with him. What if he's going to leave me?"_

"And making sure you're fed for the rest of your life? Nope."

"_Going to approach some unknown mystery subject and has decided that me being in a food coma would make it easier?"_

"Like what?"

"_Like…I don't know!"_ She sighed exasperated. _"Maybe he used to be a woman! Or has another wife! Or has just found out that he has another child that he didn't know about!"_

"Well at least he's telling you about it this time."

"_You're not funny!" _

"You're being ridiculous. He's just trying to make sure you have enough to eat tomorrow. That's it. Now stop panicking and go get ready for dinner with grandma and grandpa."

"_Cause that's a better alternative."_

"If you don't want to be late, it is."

"_I don't want to go at all."_

"I know. But you have to be a big girl and I have to finish getting ready." She switched the phone to her other hand and picked up the small brush again.

"_What are you getting ready for?"_

"I have a date."

"_You finally ditched the hoodlum and started dating someone my mother would approve of?"_ Lorelai laughed.

"Yeah, well, he was getting annoying." Rory laughed as well.

"_Good job, sweetie. Wearing the cute little black dress with the flower?"_

"It's the only date dress I have with me. Not much choice."

"_Good point. Where are you going?"_

"I don't know. He's being mysterious as well."

"_Both uncle and nephew have decided to be annoying in the same night. You think it's something in their genes?"_

"Probably. Now I really have to go. Stop stressing!" She ordered again and Lorelai smiled.

"_I'll try."_

"Say hello to grandpa for me."

"_And grandma?"_

"If you must."

"_Ok. Have fun, hon!"_

"Thank you. You too."

"_Don't tease your mother, it's not funny."_

"Bye, mom."

"_Bye." _

Putting the phone back down and adding a layer of lipstick, she finally smiled satisfied and went back to the bedroom to get dressed. A few minutes later, she walked out of the bedroom, finding Jess sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels on the TV. When he saw her, he stood up, turning off the TV.

"Hey." He whispered, walking to her and wrapping his arm around her waist, smiling as he looked at her. "You look very nice." He whispered as he leaned over, kissing her cheek. "Very, very nice."

"Thank you." She blushed looking down and he smiled again at her shyness.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah." She smiled playing with the strap of her purse. "Thank you for indulging my madness."

"Anytime." His smiled turned into his usual smirk as he kissed her cheek again, running his hand down from her waist to her hip. "And seeing you in this dress makes it definitely worth it."

Blushing again she hugged him quickly, then took his hand as they headed out. As soon as they were in the car, she looked at him, dropping her purse on the floor.

"So do I get to find out now where we're going?"

"Nope."

"Please?"

"It's ten minutes away. You really can't wait that long?"

"If I say no will you tell me?"

"Don't think so, but you could try."

Giving up, she sighed. "I'm not going to give you that satisfaction."

"Ok." He smirked, looking back at the road. After a few seconds of silence and looking out the window, she turned around to look at him.

"Please, Jess?"

He chuckled and took his eyes off the road for a second, looking at her. "No. And no matter what you say, I will not change my mind. Also, just for the record, if you think this is annoying, wait until after dinner. That's going to annoy you even more."

"Why?"

"Because we're going somewhere else after."

"Where?"

"Now what do you think your chances are of finding the answer to that one?"

"Slim to none, but I had to try. But we're going somewhere after dinner? You're going all out for this."

"Hoping I might get lucky." He smirked and she laughed.

"On a first date? What kind of girl do you think I am?"

"There is a big difference between think and hope."

"We'll discuss this further after I see what the surprise is." She smiled, running her hand through his hair and then let him focus on the drive.

A few minutes later, he pulled the car into a parking lot and turned off the engine, walking out and going to her side, trying to open the door for her but he saw her already outside.

"I wanted to get that for you."

"I can open my own doors, thank you." She smiled, pulling him closer to her and kissing him.

"I'm trying to be on my best behavior tonight." He smirked, cupping her face in his hand.

"Because of your hopes for the ending of this night?" She laughed softly, kissing him again.

"Because you deserve it." He whispered, making her smile again. "Want to go in now?"

She nodded, taking his hand as they headed for the small French restaurant. As soon as they were inside and sitting down, she looked at him, squeezing his hand over the table.

"This is really nice."

"I'm glad you like it."

"You bring all your dates here?" She laughed and he took her hand, placing a soft kiss on her palm.

"Yeah, actually just brought a girl here last week. She was much more impressed." He chuckled, making her laugh.

"I hope my visit didn't ruin any plans. Wouldn't want to stand in the way of your way."

"Don't worry about it, she's out of town this week."

"Well, say hi for me when she gets back." She laughed again, squeezing his hand.

The waitress approached their table, holding the pad in her hand.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Um, give us a couple more minutes." Rory hesitated and he nodded while the waitress walked away. "You distracted me from food!" She accused him, smiling as she picked up the menu.

"I'm very impressed with myself."

"You should be. This is quite an achievement."

"I plan on getting a plaque saying that."

"Maybe I'll get you one for Christmas."

He smiled as he picked up his menu as well, and they both started focusing on that.

Almost two hours later, they walked out of the restaurant, his arm tightly wrapped around her waist while she beamed happily.

"Dinner was absolutely fantastic." She kissed his cheek and he just puller her closer to him.

"I'm happy you had fun."

"It was amazing." She stopped as soon as they reached the car, turning her back to it while she took his hands in hers. "I'm happy we did this."

"It wasn't half bad." He admitted, stepping a bit closer to her.

"So…" She smiled, letting go of his hands and moving them up, circling his neck. "…Any chance that surprise of yours can wait until tomorrow?" She kissed him as his hands settled on her hips. "Because…" She started whispering between kisses. "…you know…I might just be…the type of girl…that goes home…with you…on a first date."

Smirking as he pulled her flush against him, he kissed her deeply. "As absolutely tempting as that is…" He whispered back when he pulled back, starting to place kisses on her neck. "I have a feeling that you will enjoy your surprise more than anything else. And if I gave in to your idea and then you found out what your surprise was, you would kill me."

"That good then?"

"I'm feeling smugly confident about it." He smirked, kissing her again and she smiled. "I will however make a mental note that you and red wine makes for a good combination for me."

"Well, no matter how good this surprise is, thank you for dinner. Again, this was incredible. Great first date."

"I love you." He whispered, looking into her eyes and she smiled back at him.

"I love you too." She kissed him one more time before he stepped away from her.

"Now let's go. We have a bit of a drive ahead."

"Hints?"

"No hints."

"Mean." She pouted and he placed a soft kiss on her cheek as he opened the car door for her.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we'll get there."

"Fine." She wiped a smudge of lipstick from the corner of his mouth, then got in the car. Walking to his side and getting in, he drove off, leaving the parking lot behind.

"Do I get any hints now?" She asked playfully.

"You think that because the car is moving I've changed my mind? Sorry. Still no hints."

"Ok." She looked out the window, trying to guess which way the car was going.

"I would take those shoes off." He glanced over quickly.

"Really? That long of a drive?" She asked as she kicked the shoes off, pulling her feet under her on the seat.

"Yeah."

"Are you going to take me into the woods and murder me? Because really, mom knows I'm with you. So do a lot of other people."

"Why would I kill you?"

"Maybe you and Luke have a 'murder the Gilmore woman in your lives' pact thing going on."

"What does Luke have to do with this?"

"He made way too much food for the picnic tomorrow and mom's worried that he's either gone crazy or he's going to leave her."

"I am not going to kill you, I promise. As for Luke…well, Lorelai can get quite annoying. I wouldn't want to live with her." He chuckled and she stuck out her tongue.

"So if I turn into her you'll break up with me?"

"A lot like Lorelai…only with a tighter grip on reality." He smiled at the memory of a night a long time ago and she looked at him confused.

"What?"

"That's how Luke described you the first night I moved to Stars Hollow."

"And you remember that? Jess, that was years ago."

"I was curious to meet you." He confessed and she looked at him. "Wanted to see if anyone could talk as fast as your mother."

"And to steal my books." She laughed. "Dodger."

"Oliver Twist." He smiled back at her.

"You're good." She replied, trying to stifle a yawn.

"That one I'd get even if it didn't have anything to do with that night. Are you tired?"

"Long day at work combined with massive meal and red wine…yeah, kind of."

"You should get some sleep then."

"Seriously? I have time to sleep? Where are we going? Jumping the border and moving to Canada?"

"I'm kidnapping you. I've decided that this job of yours you seem to like so much is keeping you away from me far too long."

"And how are we going to make it across the border if I don't have my passport with me?"

"I never claimed it was a well thought of plan. But you should get some sleep if you're tired. This is going to take a while. Especially considering now I have to think of another evil plan."

"You're sure you don't mind?"

"I'm sure." He reached over and caressed her cheek slowly with his thumb. "Sleep well."

"Okay then, Johnny Varron." She smiled as she settled in the seat, resting against the window and closing her eyes. A few minutes later, he looked at her and saw that she was fast asleep and a smile crept on his lips.

* * *

Some hours later, Jess pulled the car in the driveway of a house and turned off the engine. Unbuckling his seat belt, he leaned over to her and kissed her temple.

"We're here."

He whispered softly and she opened her eyes hesitantly, blinking rapidly.

"What here?"

"Your surprise." He smiled waiting for her to wake up completely. Sitting back straight in the seat and looking outside the window, a huge grin appeared on her lips as she saw her mother's car parked in front of the one she was in and then the familiar house with the lights on in the living room.

"Jess, we're in Stars Hollow!"


	27. Never want this to end

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter.**

* * *

**Never want this to end**

"_Jess, we're in Stars Hollow!"_

Rory squealed excitedly as she realized it, unbuckling her seat belt quickly and flinging her arms around his neck, hugging him as tightly as she could in the uncomfortable position.

"Good surprise?" He smiled, kissing her cheek.

"Best surprise ever." She laughed and kissed him full force on the mouth, then let go of him and jumped out of the car and started hurrying towards the house, her shoes forgotten on the car floor, and he followed, shaking his head and trying not to laugh at her childish happiness. She burst through the front door and walked in the living room, seeing her mother and Luke sitting on the couch.

"Hey!" She giggled. As soon as Lorelai spotted her, she jumped off the couch and pulled her into a hug, both of grinning madly.

"Rory! What are you doing here?"

"Jess decided to be amazing." She turned her head around to look at the young man who was standing in front of the door.

"Thank you, hoodlum. You've proven you're worthy of my daughter!" Lorelai looked at the man as well, still hugging her daughter.

"Any chance I'll get a new nickname now?" He smirked.

"I'll think about it." Lorelai finally let go of Rory and took her hand, both of them walking to the couch. Standing up, Luke looked at the two.

"Hi, Rory."

"Hey." She smiled back at him.

"I'm going to assume you're going to want coffee now."

"Make it strong enough to bring an army of zombies back to life! We're not getting any sleep tonight." Lorelai quipped.

"I know." He nodded knowingly and started heading for the kitchen before he spotted Jess, still standing in the doorway. "Hi. You want coffee?"

"Actually, I was wondering if I can get the keys to the diner apartment. They should get some time alone." He pointed his head in the direction of the couch and the older man nodded.

"The spare set is still above the door. Just use those. The other door is unlocked."

"Thanks." Jess nodded and stepped in the living room. "I'm going to head to the diner and get some rest. Enjoy movie night."

"Wait!" Rory yelped as she got up from the couch, walking to him. "You can stay here if you want. Spend some time with Luke."

"I'm fine. Just a bit tired. You stay with your mom and catch up. I will see you tomorrow." He smiled softly, kissing her cheek.

"You're sure?"

"Yeah." He nodded and she placed a small kiss on his lips.

"Thank you again, Jess. This is just…"

"Have fun." He smiled again, squeezing her hand and kissing her one more time before walking out, closing the front door behind him.

Rory sat back down on the couch next to her mother and Lorelai smiled at her.

"He's good."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Rory smiled. "Yeah, he is. He's…absolutely amazing."

"Aw, kid, you sound happy."

"I am." She gushed, her smile growing bigger.

Lorelai tried to say something but Luke walked in the room, dropping two mugs on the table.

"Coffee's here, there's more in the pot for when you finish this, both your baskets are on the kitchen table, I'm going to sleep." He leaned over and kissed the top of Lorelai's head softly, caressing her hair with his hand. "I'll be at the diner when you wake up but I'm going to meet you in the square at noon for your insane festival."

"Thanks, babe." Lorelai smiled.

"Yes, thank you, Luke. You didn't have to do all this. Certainly not make me a basket as well."

"I was already making her one." He pointed at his wife. "And your boyfriend asked for a favor so really, you should be thanking him."

"I will." She smiled back at the man and he nodded once, walking towards the stairs.

"Night, Luke!" Lorelai called after him.

"Sleep well." Rory smiled as well.

"Thanks." He replied as he started walking up the stairs, leaving the girls alone. After a few seconds of silence, Lorelai looked at her daughter, picking up one of the mugs from the table.

"So from that giant grin on your face earlier, I can assume things with Jess are good?"

"Things with Jess are really good." Rory took the other mug, looking at her mother. "God, I missed Luke's coffee." She smiled after she took a sip from the mug. "But yeah, things are great. I even got a drawer!" She giggled excitedly, remembering the day she had arrived in Philadelphia.

"You got a what?"

"A drawer! He emptied a drawer for me to use while I was at his place."

"Oh, nice! He really is going for the perfect boyfriend award, isn't he?"

"He's earned that one a long time ago. The whole driving to Pittsburg thing put him in the lead."

"Good. I'm glad you're happy, kid. Just be careful, ok? I don't want you to have your heart broken again."

"Mom…" She threatened gently.

"I'm just saying. I know he's great and perfect and everything and trust me, this whole bringing you here and arranging with Luke to make you a basket won him major mom brownie points, but I still get to remind you to be careful. And not because of what happened in high school – just because I am your mother and it's my duty to tell you that, ok?"

"Fine. I will be careful. Happy?"

"Yes." Lorelai smiled, nodding once. "Now for the most important thing…did you get any good stories about him?"

"Well, now that you ask…" She drank from her mug again, smiling. "Apparently 3 years ago at Christmas…"

* * *

Later that night, Rory opened the door to the diner apartment slowly, walking towards his old bed, seeing Jess lying on his stomach, his hair messed up and a blanket covering him. When he heard her steps he opened one eye, not moving from his position.

"Hey." He mumbled sleepily, his face buried deep in a pillow and she smiled, sitting down on the bed next to him, taking off the shoes she had borrowed from her mother.

"Hi." She answered, putting the shoes on the floor and pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. He moved to his side, making room for her in the small bed and she smiled as she lied down next to him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he put his arm around her waist, covering her with the blanket.

"I like sleeping next to you." She repeated what he had said a few months before, smiling, and took his hand in hers, lifting it up to her lips and placing a small kiss on his fingers before she closed her eyes as well. "Good night, Jess." He didn't answer, instead she just heard him breathing next to her ear and smiled again, falling asleep peacefully.

* * *

The next day, they were all gather in the town square, the girls standing on one side and the guys on the other. Lorelai and Rory were chatting excitedly with Lane and Sookie, waiting for their turn, while both uncle and nephew were looking at the other one, trying to figure out how exactly they had been dragged in that mess.

"And now, we have this lovely basket. We're going to start the bidding at 5 dollars." Taylor announced while the blond woman next to him held up a basket and Lorelai looked at her husband, pointing towards the basket.

"That's mine!"

"I know, I made it." Luke shook his head, smiling and lifting his hand in the air at the same time. "5 dollars." He called to Taylor.

"We have 5 dollars everyone, do I hear 10?" Luke looked around him, shooting Kirk a look to convince him that bidding on Lorelai's basket was a bad idea while Taylor called the price again. When no one offered more, Taylor smiled. "Going once, going twice, sold to Stars Hollow's very own young entrepreneur!"

Shaking his head while he walked to the podium and handed the man the money, he picked up the basket and walked back to his wife, holding it.

"I can't believe you made me do this."

"Hey, at least Taylor called you young."

"I'll be sure to write that down in my diary."

A couple of baskets later, Rory's basket came up and she looked at Jess, smiling as she pointed to the basket and he nodded.

"What do we have here, ladies and gentlemen? A beautiful and by the looks of it, quite heavy basket. Men, who knows what's inside? Starting the bidding at 5 dollars, do I have 5 dollars?"

"90." Jess called, making Rory look at him in shock.

"90 what?" Taylor asked, confused.

"90 dollars." He repeated, while Rory smiled, biting her lip, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Young man, I don't think you understand how this works. I call a price, you're supposed to pay that, not go over it." Taylor tried to explain while Jess took a few steps ahead to where the older man could see him. "Oh, it's you." He finally recognized him. "What are you doing back here?"

"Trying to buy a basket." Jess smirked, trying not to get angry.

"Just give him the basket, Taylor!" Miss Patty called from the back and the man sighed.

"Fine, sold to the hooligan that does not seem to understand how auctions work for 90 dollars."

"Thank you." Jess sighed exasperated, handing him the money and taking his basket. He walked over to Rory and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly while the rest of the town watched, not even bothering to try to pretend they weren't.

"You're crazy." She whispered in his ear while he wrapped his free hand around her waist. "And perfect." She kissed his cheek quickly, then leaned even closer to his ear. "And I love you so much."

"Good." He whispered back, placing a soft kiss on her temple. Lorelai tapped her daughter on the shoulder.

"Rory, hon, you might want to go somewhere else."

Letting go of Jess' neck, Rory looked around and saw that everyone was looking at them, including Taylor who had forgotten to announce the next basket.

"Thanks." She smiled at her mother, taking Jess' hand. "I'll see you after lunch."

"Sure. Enjoy."

She started walking away from the crowd, with Jess next to her. Seeing them leave, Taylor leaned towards Kirk.

"Kirk, follow him!"

"Kirk, follow him and die." Lorelai threatened.

"Sorry." The man lifted his hands in the air. "She scares me more than you do, Taylor."

Still looking after the young couple, Taylor shook his head. "Come here and I'll give you something to be scared of."

"Lulu!" The man called, running to hide behind his girlfriend.

In the meantime, Rory and Jess were walking towards the bridge, her hand holding his tightly. "You didn't have to do that, Jess."

"Wanted to see your expression. Although, I'll admit it, it's slightly less entertaining without bag boy fuming. But at least I'm getting some food for my money this time."

Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arm around his waist instead and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You are crazy."

"Just trying to keep up with you."

"Hey!" She protested, making him chuckle.

"You're not going to actually try and deny it, are you?"

"I might."

"I like your craziness." Jess smiled and she wrapped her other arm around him as well. Kissing the top of her head, he put his free arm around her. A few minutes later, they reached the bridge and sat down, the basket between them. Opening the lid, he looked inside, smirking when he saw how much food was in it.

"Luke went mad over this."

Peeking inside the basket as well, Rory laughed softly. "Now I get why mom was worried last night."

"And oh, look, no disgusting, clumpy rice. How disappointing."

"Will you be ever to get over it?" She smiled, taking his hand in hers and kissing it.

"It will take some time."

Rory pushed the basket out of her way and scooted closer, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him. "Did that help?"

"I don't know." He smirked, not moving away from her. "You might have to try again."

Letting go of his face, she leaned into him, putting her arms on the bridge, trying to keep her balance and kissed him again. "How about now?" She whispered when she pulled back, placing a series of small kisses on his lips. "Feeling better?"

"Much." He kissed her back, tangling his hand in her hair, keeping her close to him. "I already like this picnic much better. I have food…" He kissed her softly. "…And I get to do this all I want."

"Perfect day." Rory smiled. "Thank you."

"What for?"

"For bringing me here, for asking Luke to make me a basket, for buying it…for everything."

"It was either this or reenacting it in my living room. Chris could have been Taylor and, for added entertainment, Matt could have been Dean. Not as tall, but he would have had to do. But seeing how Chris has never met Taylor, I don't know how good his impersonation would have been and without a Taylor this would be nothing." He smirked. "And I would have had to make my own basket."

"But you would have saved your money." She pointed out.

"From Chris? No chance. He'd never give it back."

"Thank you." She smiled again, hugging him while he kissed her temple.

"Anytime, Ror."

"Anytime, anytime? You mean I could ask you to do this every weekend and you'd agree?" She laughed, lying down on the bridge, resting her head on his leg while he started running his hand through her hair.

"If you can convince this entire crazy town to organize this every weekend, then sure, I'd buy your basket every time. Wouldn't want to risk you running around with some other guy. Look how it turned out for me."

"Not the basket thing. Just spend time together, in Stars Hollow."

"I don't know. Maybe. We'd find a compromise."

"Every other weekend?"

"Negotiable. But first you'd have to stay in one place for more than a week. There are no frequent flier miles in the world to pay for you to come here every other week."

She smiled sadly, remembering that she had to leave again the next day. "I don't want to leave this place. Don't want to leave you."

"Hey, the deal was you weren't going to be sad for another 24 hours." He smiled, caressing her cheek gently with his thumb. "I thought Stars Hollow would make you happy, not sad."

"I am happy, Jess. I'm both happy and sad at the same time. It's a girl thing." She smiled, catching his hand in hers and placing a soft kiss on it. "I was just getting used to having you around all the time. Having coffee with you every day."

"We can have coffee together over the phone, if it would make you feel better."

She sat back up, resting her forehead against his and closing her eyes. "It's not the same." She kissed the corner of his mouth and he cupped her face in his hand.

"I know." He kissed her again. "But for now it's the best we've got."


	28. If, when, never

**A/N: Sorry for the delay but this chapter just ran out from me in a completely insane direction and I spent a lot of time trying to get it to behave. I don't know if that's a sign I'm losing my mind or what. But I do hope you enjoy it in all its fluffiness. Thank you for the reviews.**

* * *

**If, when, never**

Later Saturday night, after a tearful goodbye between Rory and Lorelai, they were back in Philadelphia. Sitting cross legged at the end of the bed and digging with a spoon through a box of ice cream, Rory looked up at Jess.

"Can we have a serious talk?"

"While you're wearing that?" He pointed to the t-shirt she was wearing, smirking. "I doubt it."

"I could get dressed if it would make you pay attention to what I want to say."

Rubbing her knee gently, he shook his head. "Don't. I was kidding. What's wrong?" His voice suddenly became more serious and he sat up on the bed so he could see her better.

"Word around the newsroom is Obama will win the nomination. We won't know for sure for another month and a half, maybe two, and there's still a chance for this to change but right now we're all pretty sure he's going to win."

"Ok." He nodded, waiting to see where she was going.

"If he wins, this means I will have to follow him around until the elections."

"I know."

"I…" She paused for a second, looking at him. "I'm not sure I want to do that."

"Why?" He looked straight into her eyes, waiting for her answer.

"You know why, Jess. It's getting harder and harder every time I have to leave. I hate that I don't see you for months at a time. I like my job, but I'm starting to miss not being on that stupid bus all the time. I've been hoping he won't win and I'll be able to stop doing this in June!"

"Ror, it's 4 months. It's not like it's a year or more."

"It's too much. I don't want to be away for that long."

"And what would you do if you quit your job?" He asked again, trying to reason with her.

"Move back in with mom for a while and start looking for a job around. I'm sure I could find something to do for the Stars Hollow Gazette for a bit until I found a real job. And this way, I could have my car back and I'd be able to come visit you on the weekends. If you want that, obviously."

"I'm…not sure this is a good idea." He replied, rubbing her knee again, trying to find a way to say what he wanted to say. Seeing her smile fade away, he moved closer to her on the bed, cupping her face in his hands and kissed her softly. "Listen until the end before you get mad at me, ok?"

She nodded quickly, biting her lip and trying not to cry, scared of the thought of him not wanting her around.

"This has nothing to do with us, ok? Trust me, I would love to see you more than once in a blue moon. I wasn't joking when I said I could get used to having you around every day. It wasn't just something I said to be nice or anything. Are we clear on that?"

"Yes." She nodded again, this time calmer and he kissed her softly.

"Good." Letting go of her face, Jess lowered his hands, his left one resting on her knee, rubbing small circles with his thumb. "First off-Stars Hollow Gazette? Really? You graduate from Yale and go to work there?"

"It would just be for a while."

"So you think it's ok to go from reporting on what the possible future president of the United Stated is doing to writing about the proper way to maintain your lawn at a Taylor approved standard?"

"Jess…"

"Rory, if you had started this with 'I want to quit because I hate my job', I would have been the first one to say go ahead. Followed closely by Lorelai, I'm sure. And if you're absolutely sure that this is what you want to do, then again-go do it. But don't just do this because you want to spend more time around here. This job is such an amazing opportunity and I don't want you to ever regret it having given it up."

"You're being reasonable." She smiled, making him chuckle.

"It happens from time to time." He leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "But if it makes you feel better, the selfish part of me is wondering why I can't just keep my mouth shut and let you quit your job so I can see you more."

"So why aren't you keeping your mouth shut?" Rory asked, trying to stop herself from laughing.

"Because…" He took a deep breath, pausing for a few seconds. "If this…" He motioned with his finger between the two of them. "…ends, I don't want you to hate or resent me for giving this up to be with me."

Instead of answering, she just shot from her place on the bed, dropping the ice cream box next to her and crushed her mouth to his, smiling madly through the kiss. He leaned back down slowly on the bed, taking her with him, never breaking their kiss. When she finally pulled back, he chuckled, tangling his hand in her hair.

"What was that for?"

"You said if, not when."

"What?"

"You said if this ends, not when it ends." She paused for a bit, her smile starting to fade. "Unless you didn't mean it and you were just talking and I'm reading too much into…"

Jess cut her off with a kiss, making her smile again. "You want it to be if?"

"Nope, I just kissed you for no reason."

"Because I'm irresistible?" He smirked and she laughed softly.

"Obviously." Rory ran her fingers through his hair slowly. "I want it to be if. Actually…" Rory bit her lip, pausing for a second. "…I think I'm starting to want it to be never."

"Ok." He nodded, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Ok, ok? You're fine with me saying that?"

He was quiet for a few seconds, before looking into her eyes, smiling. "Yeah…I think I am."

Attacking his mouth again, she rolled on top of him, trying to hug him at the same time, making him smile as he wrapped his arm around her. When she pulled back, she whispered "I love you." quickly, then started trailing kisses on his cheeks and jaw, making him laugh.

"What was that for?" Jess asked again, accentuating the third word and she grinned happily, giving him a quick peck on the lips.

"For being ok with never." She slid down and to the side a bit, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around him. He kissed the top of her head, hugging her close to him.

"Ror, you should have known that by now. This isn't just 'I'm going to be with her for the next 6 months to a year or until something better comes along'."

She moved back up on the pillow next to him, looking into his eyes. "There's a difference between it not being that and being ok with 'if'. And an ever bigger difference between that and never."

"I know." He reassured her, kissing her softly.

"And it's still ok?" Rory asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, it still is."

"I love you." She whispered again, placing a small kiss on his lips.

"Are you sure that this is what you want? Because…" He paused for a second, intertwining their fingers together. "…and I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut, less than a year ago another guy was asking you to marry him. And while I am not proposing, I do see this as a someday, a long time from now, I might like to ask you that and I would like you to say yes."

Not trusting herself to speak, she just blinked a few times, squeezing his hand.

"Ror?" He asked after a few seconds and she just kissed him.

"I love you." She said again when she pulled back, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"Wow, third one in less than 5 minutes. I must be doing something right." Jess smirked and she laughed, letting go of his hand and moving closer to him.

"You are." She paused, placing a small peck on his lips. "And I am sure. Logan…seems like a lifetime away. You know why it had to be no to him. You…a long time from now? Not no."

"Unless we discover that we absolutely hate the other one if we have to see each other more than a few days every other month."

"Unless that happens." She laughed, a few happy tears rolling down her cheeks.

Rolling on his back and pulling her with him, until she was back to resting her head on his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "How did we get to that from talking about your job?"

"You said if. The rest just rolled from there."

"I have to pay more attention to what I say from now on, it seems. How about the quitting your job thing?"

"I'll think about it some more and let you know."

"Ok." Jess hugged her closer to him, kissing her head again. "I think your ice cream is melted by now."

"My ice cream was almost done when we started this conversation." She tried to get up and pick up the box to move it but he stopped her, still holding her tightly. "Jess, it will make a mess."

"Leave it. Sheets can be washed."

Kissing his neck, she tried to pull away from him again. "Let me pick up the box, please."

"Fine." He let go of her and she picked up the box, dropping it on a nightstand and then moved back in her place.

"Thank you."

"Freak."

"Freak that really, really loves you." Rory smiled again, ruffling his hair and he caught her hand, kissing her.

"I love you too."

* * *

The next morning, Rory woke up to find that she was alone in the room. Sitting up on the bed and looking around her, she wrapped the sheet tightly around her body, rubbing her face with her hands. A few minutes later, Jess walked in the room and walked to her, sitting down on the bed.

"Morning." He smiled, leaning over and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Morning. Why are you awake? And walking? And dressed?"

"I made breakfast." He smirked. "And I don't know how much Matt and Chris would have appreciated me parading naked around the kitchen."

"They don't know what they're missing." She smiled, moving closer to him on the bed and kissing his cheek. "I have to get out of bed, right?"

"If you want to eat any time soon, yeah."

"Can you hand me my t-shirt?" She asked and he shook his head, smirking.

"You see, that would interfere with my 'watch you walking around naked' plan." Jess chuckled, placing a soft kiss on her neck and she smiled.

"So I should walk naked but you won't?"

"Well, you're nice to look at."

"Please, Jess…?" She tried to pout, smiling at the same time and he sighed dramatically, picking up the shirt from the chair next to him and handing it to her. "Thank you." She smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"It was under protest. Now I'll let you get dressed and go make some more coffee, because I'm sure the guys drank the one that was in there."

"They're awake?"

"They wanted to say goodbye before you left."

"Aw, that's so nice of them." She smiled, running her hand through his hair. "I'll be out in ten minutes, ok?"

"Ok." He kissed her again, getting up and walking out of the room.

A quarter of an hour later, Rory walked in the kitchen, finding the three men sitting at the table. Walking to Jess, she ran her fingers up the back of his neck, smiling.

"Hello."

Matt looked up from his plate, smiling at her. "Good morning!" Chris just waved, busy chewing on his food and Jess looked up at her, pointing to the chair. "Breakfast?"

"Definitely." Rory picked up the coffee pot and filled her mug, then looked around the table. "Anyone need any more?"

"Me, please!" Matt asked and she filled his mug as well before sitting down and drinking from her cup.

"Rory, could you please move in?" Matt asked, digging though his pancakes.

"Why exactly are you asking my girlfriend to move in with you, Matt?" Jess smirked, looking at his friend.

"Yes, why are you asking his girlfriend to move in, Matt?" Chris laughed as well, looking up from his food.

"I like food. And he cooks when she's here. Not that having cereal for breakfast every day isn't fantastic, but I've enjoyed this week. So please?" He looked back at Rory and she smiled.

"Sorry."

"Ah, well. I guess it's back to cereal and Poptarts for me."

"The traditional Gilmore breakfast."

"Only if you add a vat of coffee." Jess smiled, bumping her knee with his under the table.

"Both me and mom function on caffeine. You do not want to see us without coffee. It's not pretty."

"I think we have to meet this mother of yours." Chris chimed in. "She might tell us the swan story."

"You should come down to Stars Hollow one day. I'm sure mom could find you a couple of rooms at the inn."

"For the sake of my sanity, that should never happen." Jess sighed. "Lorelai and him in the same room?" He pointed at Matt, shaking his head.

"This has to be discussed further. If only to see if we could make Jess bang his head against a wall."

"You manage to do that daily."

"Yes, but this time I want to see blood." Matt grinned, making Jess sigh and look at Rory.

"See what you've started? Now if they actually visit, someone will have to die."

"Not if, Jess, when we go visit!"

Remembering their conversation the night before, Rory smiled at Jess, squeezing his hand under the table and he smiled back.

"So, tell us, is this town really as insane as he…" Chris pointed his fork at Jess before continuing "…tried to make us believe?"

"It's worse." Jess mumbled.

"I'm just going to stick to it's a very unique place." Rory conceded, not knowing a better word to describe her hometown. "Case study worthy, most of the time. Especially Kirk."

"Who is this Kirk that you speak of?" Matt asked and Rory laughed softly.

"Kirk is…" She paused, trying to find an accurate description.

"Hard to explain." Jess finished her sentence.

* * *

A few hours later, they were back in the parking lot next to the hotel, Rory's bags at their feet.

"You'll call when you get there, right?" Jess asked, squeezing her hand softly.

"I'll call." She agreed, letting go of his hand and hugging him instead. "And text and email and everything, starting tomorrow."

"Good." He kissed her temple softly, pulling her even closer to him. "Not too often, though, my other girlfriend is coming back today. Don't want to make her jealous." He smirked, getting a smile out of her and she lifted her head, placing a small kiss on his lips.

"Tell her she better take good care of you, ok?"

"I will." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, then rested his forehead against hers. "I'll miss you, Ror."

"Be sure to vote for Hillary, maybe this will be over soon." She laughed softly and he placed a small peck on her lips.

"Will do."

"I'll miss you too." She smiled, kissing him again. "I should go."

"Ok." Jess nodded, letting go of her and she picked up her bag, giving his hand one last squeeze.

"I love you." She whispered and he stepped closer to her again, kissing her.

"Love you too. Now go before they leave without you."

"Wouldn't be all that bad, would it?" She smiled and kissed him one more time before heading for the lobby of the hotel to wait for her coworkers, waving at Jess.

* * *

As soon as he got back home, he sat on the bed, picking up his book, trying to distract himself with reading. Hearing the familiar crinkle of paper coming from under the pillow, he moved to the side, lifting the pillow and finding a note.

_Jess,_

_I have no idea what exactly I am trying to say in this note. But we started this and it would feel weird to leave without leaving you a note, plus I like leaving you notes so here I am, writing you a note. _

_I love you. I'm just…I just wonder, a lot of the time, if you have any idea just how unbelievably happy you make me. And it has nothing to do with the big things-though, obviously, those aren't bad. Ok, that might have come out wrong because I did love the Stars Hollow thing and obviously, the Pittsburgh thing…But it's almost stupid how happy just sleeping next to you makes me. Having coffee with you. Reading next to you in bed. This list could go on forever. And tonight…I like the thought of doing those things, with you, for the rest of my life. _

_I think I should be scared of that. Some ingrained defense mechanism should start ringing and yelling and telling me it's too soon to think about never. I know that's what happened with Logan. And yet there is no ringing, no yelling, no voice saying I'm an idiot. Just the certainty that I love you and it's going to last. We'll make it last somehow. Despite this stupid distance and the 'I don't know what I'm going to do next'. Despite all the things that should tell me this is not going to happen, I still think-no, I know that this will work. And I love you for knowing this as well, and for being ok with it being never._

_I now understand how hard it is to focus when you're sleeping in the next room. And all I want to do is go back so I'm going to stop writing this. _

_Love you so much more than I'll ever find a way to tell you,_

_Rory._

In the meantime, on the bus, Rory picked up her book from her bag and opened it to the first page, only to have a note fall out of it. Smiling as she picked it up, she unfolded it carefully.

_I was reading a book a while ago and I got to this passage and it just reminded me of you. And me, by extension. And I don't know if it's stupid to just leave you quotes or if you'd prefer if I actually said something but I never know what to say. Because I don't think I can ever find the right words when it comes to you and I want so much to know what to say, or actually how to say the things I want to say to you. But for now, until I find my words, I hope Henry Miller will do it._

"_I hear not a word because she is beautiful and I love her and now I am happy and willing to die."_

_Jess. _


	29. Phones are all we've got

**A/N: You're all so very nice to me. Really, it's silly just how giggly I get when I get a nice review-my flatmates can confirm. Anyway, thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter(and goodness, they keep getting longer and longer lately, don't they? If you'd prefer I split them into shorter ones, just let me know). **

**

* * *

**

**Phones are all we've got**

Monday afternoon, Rory was in her hotel room, having gotten back from work. Picking up her phone, she called her mother, waiting for her to pick up.

"_Dragonfly Inn, Lorelai speak…wait, this is my cell phone."_ Lorelai realized in the middle of her greeting.

"Yes, it is." Rory smiled, sitting on the bed.

"_Oh, look she calls! Now that the boyfriend isn't there, she finally remembers I exist." _

"I missed one day and that was because I was on the stupid bus all day. By the time I got here, it was almost midnight in Stars Hollow. Would you have liked me to wake you up?"

"_Yes!" _

"Well, I'll keep that in mind for future reference. And I did email you."

"_You did?"_ Lorelai asked confused. After a few seconds of silence, she heard her mother laugh. _"Oh, yeah, you did. Sorry, kid."_

"Bad day at work?"

"_Monday at work. And Michel isn't here so I'm on desk duty. Wait, John and Laura got together?"_

"Don't read my email while you're on the phone with me. And yes."

"_Finally!"_

"Why isn't Michel there? Is he ok"?

"_Yeah, he just went to Vegas this weekend and took today off to recover, his words not mine."_ She rambled quickly. _"How are you?"_

"I'm good. Missing Jess like crazy, but other than that, I'm good."

"_Oh, just Jess then? Not, oh, I don't know, your adorable mother as well?"_

"You know I miss you too. Don't make me feel guilty today." Rory sighed sadly, running her hand through her hair.

"_What's wrong, kid?"_

"Nothing new. Actually…" She paused for a few seconds, trying to find a way to say what she wanted to. "…I kind of need to talk to you about this."

"_This what?"_

"This my job."

"_Ah."_ Lorelai nodded, knowing what was going to come next. _"I've been waiting for this talk for a while now."_

"You have? How did you…?"

"_Rory, I know you. And the fact that I barely ever see you doesn't change that."_

"So what do you think?" She asked, standing up and walking to the other end of the room, picking up her now cold cup of take-away coffee.

"_I don't know, kid. What do you want to do?"_

"Quit. I think. Sometimes. Right now, I just want to jump on the first plane back."

"_Are you reacting to being away from him now, or is this something that you want to do most of the time?"_

"This isn't just about him, mom. It's also about you and being away from Stars Hollow."

"_Ok, kid, I love you and thank you for your very nice lie, but we both know that you won't quit your job to be with mommy."_ Lorelai laughed softly. _"No matter how much said mommy wants you to do that." _

"Mom, you know I want to spend more time with you as well."

"_Yes, but if you're going to quit it wouldn't be because of me."_

"No…it wouldn't." Rory sighed, drinking from her cup. "Opinions?"

"_Rory, if you expect me to solve this for you…I can't. You want to quit, then quit. I won't be happy with it because I think this job should come first but I am going to support you because…well, I know being away isn't easy for you. And because I'm your mother and that's what I have to do."_ She paused for a second, taking a deep breath. _"What does Jess think?"_

"That I shouldn't do it just because I want to spend more time around him."

"_Good boy." _

"Mom…" Rory sighed again.

"_Rory…"_ Lorelai mimicked her tone. _"I'm sorry this isn't the answer you were looking for. But I can't say 'yeah, sure, go ahead and give this amazing opportunity just to be with your boyfriend'. He'll be there in a few months but a job like this…probably not." _

"So my two main reasons for quitting my job are telling me not to do it."

"_Rory, we're telling you to do it only if you're absolutely sure that this is what you want to do and that you won't regret it. If you're miserable then please quit. I'll pay for your plane ticket home and go plan your welcome home party. But in the grand scheme of things, it is just a few more months at most. You've made it for 5 without Jess, I know you can do it until November."_

"And if I can't?"

"_You can. Just give yourself a couple of weeks before you make any big decisions. Right now, you're still reacting to having just left him. Wait until you're back into your normal rhythm, then think about this again and decide what it is you really want to do. "_

"Why is everyone being rational?"

"_Because we love you and want what's best for you."_ She tried to remind her daughter.

"Yeah, well, it would be nice if you supported my madness."

"_So you agree it's madness?"_

"I was never disagreeing."

"_And you'd still do it? Even knowing it's the crazy speaking?"_

"Yeah…I think I would. I'll take some more time to think about it and I will probably end up not doing it but if either one of you told me that you agree with me, I still would. In a heartbeat."

"_Wow…you've got it really bad, kid."_

"You have no idea…" Rory sighed, smiling at the same time.

"_What happened? Because your email doesn't mention anything about Jess, other than the usual he's ok."_

"Promise you won't get freaked out by this?"

"_Why would I get freaked…you didn't get married, did you?"_ Lorelai asked, talking even faster than usual, trying to stop herself from going crazy.

"No."

Rory heard a relieved sigh from the other end of the phone and laughed softly. _"Good. Don't pull a Lorelai on me. Even, though, you know, that's your name as well and if you wanted to, you could and I would get over it because you got over me and your dad doing that but I would really like to be invited to your wedding! Please?" _

"Don't worry, if I got married you'd be invited. If only because I was invited to your second wedding."

"_And the thing we learned from that one is that if you have family and friend around, things tend to work out better. Made it past 40 days with no problem!"_ Lorelai announced excitedly, laughing at the same time.

"Oh, wow, impressive."

"_Hey, we haven't even managed to fight yet."_

"That's good to hear."

"_And no matter how lovely it is talking about me and my marriage, why would I get freaked out?"_

"What?" Rory asked, slightly confused.

"_You and Jess? Me having to promise I won't go postal?"_ She reminded her daughter.

"Oh, yeah. It's just that we were talking on Saturday night…"

"_I'm sure that's exactly what you were doing!"_ Lorelai chuckled.

"Mom! Ew!" She yelped, embarrassed, her cheeks turning about 5 different shades of red. "We were talking about my job. Just talking. That's it."

"_If that's what you want to call it."_ Lorelai chuckled again.

"You're disgusting."

"_I try."_ She beamed proudly from the other end of the phone. _"Ok, so you were talking and…?"_

"And he said if we end…"

"_But I thought you knew for a while now that you want it to be if."_

"Mom, you might want to stop interrupting me if you want to hear the end of this story."

"_But what would the fun be in that? And I would like to get points for being serious when we were talking about your job. But now that you said you probably won't, I can relax and interrupt you with my awesomeness."_

"Don't you ever get tired?"

"_I've had about 10 cups of coffee today."_

"Mom, caffeine poisoning is a real thing."

"_Not for the pros. Ok, back to you and Jess. He said if you guys end and…?"_ She tried to stir the conversation back on track.

"And I said never."

"_Wait, you said what?"_

"I said that I don't think I ever want it to end."

Lorelai was quiet for a few seconds, trying to process what her daughter had just said.

"Mom?"

"_Still here…just…are you sure?"_

Rory bit her lip, looking down at her feet. "Yeah, I am. And I know you're going to say it's too soon and I should take more time and think about this better and that I'm just not thinking things properly but I do want this to last…"

"_Rory, stop." _

"Why?"

"_Because I'm not going to say any of those things."_

"You're not?"

"_No, I'm not. You're a grown-up. If you want this to last forever, then that's what you want. I can't guarantee that it will, but if you both want this then…well, make it last. This is just between the two of you. How does Jess feel?"_

"He said he's ok with it."

"_And you're really, really, absolutely sure that this is not just a reaction to…"_ She paused for a second, hoping her daughter won't get mad at her. _"…what happened with Logan? You're not just regretting you said no to him and this is why you want this with Jess?"_

"Mom, this has nothing to do with that, ok? Nothing."

"_You're sure?"_

"I am. Yes, I loved Logan but this…this is different. A good different. No, an amazing different."

"_Ok."_ Lorelai nodded in acceptance. _"So you really think he could be it?"_

"I think I really want him to be it. And I'm going to do everything I can to make it be it."

"_So if this is what you really want and you're willing to spend the rest of your hopefully freakishly long life with him, why do you want to quit your job now? You know he'll be there a few months…"_

"7."

"_Fine, 7 months from now. I'm just…I'm just saying don't give this up now."_

"Mom, I already said I'll think about it."

"_Think hard. And hey, maybe Obama won't win and it's just a couple of months and we're debating this for nothing."_

"Yeah, maybe."

"_You don't sound convinced."_

"I don't know." Rory sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "I wish there was an easy way to figure this out."

"_There is. Just pick whichever choice you'll regret less in the long run."_

"Why are we talking about this again?"

"_Honestly? Because the other thing kind of freaks me out a bit and I think I promised I won't get freaked out."_

"But you were doing so well a minute ago."

"_I'm trying. However, I don't think I'm ready for you to settle down with a guy."_

"Mom, I've lived with a guy before."

"_Yeah, well, that was different."_

"Why?"

"_Because that was Logan and this is Jess."_

"I am fully aware of that." Rory nodded, trying to understand where her mother was going.

"_I don't know why it was different, it just is, ok? You just have this massive goofy smile when he's around or when you talk about him that you never had when we were talking about Logan and I can't even hate him this time, even though I'm trying really hard because he's being nice and doing all the right things and making you happy and now you're saying that you want to be together with him forever and he's taking you away from me and it's not fair!"_ She rambled quickly, then took a deep breath, calming herself down. _"And wow, don't I just feel like a selfish idiot for bringing that one up."_

"Mom, he's not taking me away, ok? I'm still your daughter."

"_I know. Temporary insanity over."_

"You're sure?"

"_Yes."_

"Good. Because you know, I did want to talk to you about maybe reducing our phone calls to once a week and maybe stop the emailing thing all together."

"_I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I?"_

"You have to pay the price for going crazy."

"_I just want to see you from time to time, Rory. When you live nearby."_

"You will, I promise."

"_Pinky promise?"_

"Double pinky promise. Cross my heart and all that. Jess already agreed that we could come back to Stars Hollow at least every other weekend if I lived around there."

"_See, this is why I can't hate him!"_ Lorelai tried to pout, smiling at the same time.

"I'm sorry my boyfriend is making it hard for you to hate him. Is that ok?"

"_Slightly better."_

"And hey, you can talk to grandma. I'm sure she can ramble on and on about why you should hate him and how you're an unfit mother for not hating him."

"_Oh, you have no idea. She's added a new bit to her litany." _

"God, she's impossible."

"_And you learn that now? She's always been impossible."_

"I had hope."

"_You're too nice. But at least you have grandpa on your side so it's not that bad. Imagine having both of them hating Jess."_

"True. But we also have Liz to deal with."

"_Any improvement on that front?"_

"Jess hasn't said anything. Has she talked to Luke again about this?"

"_She got mad when she heard he was in town this weekend and didn't stop by her place, tried to talk to Luke, he cut her short and told her Jess is a grown up and gets to do what he wants."_

"Thank him for me, will you?"

"_I will." _

"Everything else ok around Stars Hollow?"

"_As usual. Kirk has a new job."_

"What is it this time?"

"_Official town mower of lawns. Yes, that's what he calls himself. And he actually took this to Taylor and asked him if there was an official town mower of lawns and if there isn't, he was claiming the title."_

"There is no way Kirk being in the vicinity of sharp blades will end well."

"_The ambulance is on call." _

"Good. Ok, mom, I think I have to go. I need to finish my article and then have a lot of thinking to do."

"_Ok. Be safe, ok? I love you."_

"Love you too, mom. Bye."

"_Bye." _

* * *

A couple of days later, she picked up her phone again, sitting down on the bed and dialing Jess' number.

"_Hey."_ He answered after a few rings.

"Hi. You sound tired."

"_I'm fine. I was up late last night."_

"The guys dragged you out for drinks?"

"_Writing."_ He smiled.

"Still no chance I get to read this thing you're writing, is there?"

"_Nope." _

"Mean." She pouted, smiling at the same time.

"_I need to finish it first. Then we can discuss it again."_

"Ok. But I'm claiming first rights to read it, as your patient girlfriend."

"_Patient?"_ He chuckled softly.

"Well, trying to be patient. Better?"

"_Somewhat."_

"Ok, back to the reason I called."

"_There's a reason? Not just to hear my voice? I'm hurt."_ Jess smirked and she laughed.

"That too. But there's another reason."

"_Ok. Is something wrong?"_

"Not wrong just…I don't think I'm going to quit my job."

"_Good." _

"Good?"

"_Yes, good. I was always on the 'you shouldn't quit' side."_

"Even if this means 7 more months away from each other?"

"_Even if."_

"And you're sure that you don't mind?"

"_And again I point out, I've been saying you shouldn't quit. Yes, I would like to see you more. Yes, I don't really like this distance thing. Yes, I think this job should come first."_

"I love you." She whispered softly, biting her lip.

"_What for?"_ He laughed, running his hand through his hair.

"For understanding." She looked down at her feet, smiling. "And just because I do."

"_Even if I threw a tantrum, asking you to quit your job, come back, I want to see you?"_

"I want to see that first." She giggled at the mental image. "But I think there's a decent chance I'd keep loving you."

"_Good to know. Just in case." _

"Just in case you turn into a 2 year old?"

"_Hey, it could happen."_

"How?"

"_I don't know. But it's good to know you'd still like me."_

"I'd still love you. Like you…? Not so much."

"_You're going to pay for that comment next time I see you."_ He threatened playfully, getting a smile from her.

"So I have to like you at all times?"

"_Yes." _

"Even if you're being stubborn and annoying?"

"_When am I ever stubborn and annoying?"_

"You really want to start this discussion?" She laughed, lying down on the bed. "One word: Hemingway."

"_Hey, you still owe me that book. Really, it's been 5 months."_

"I'm scheduled for my lobotomy next week. I'll get right on it after that."

"_Are you implying I only have half a brain?"_

"Well, you like that man. I don't know what else this says about you." She laughed again.

"_I'm adding that to my list of comments you're going to pay for."_ He smirked.

"That list is getting long, isn't it? And I like to point out that I never agreed to read any of his books. You just assumed I would because you read Rand."

He paused for a few seconds. _"When do you find out if Obama won the nomination?"_

"Segues are not your thing, are they?"

"_Not tonight, they're not."_

"Beginning of June probably. Why?"

"_Just thought I might come by for a visit."_

"You don't have to."

"_I want to."_

"You're sure?"

"_Positive. And I have to get payback for those comments."_ He smirked.

"God, I miss you. This doesn't get easier, does it?"

"_Don't think so. And don't ever complain about my lack of segues." _

"No chance you're going to change your mind and ask me to quit, is there?"

"_Ror…"_

"I know, I know, this is my decision and blah-blah. I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

"_In a few more months it won't, ok?"_

"Yeah…" She whispered back, a couple of tear rolling down her cheeks. She quickly wiped her face and tried to smile. "Sorry. I'm being a baby tonight."

"_It's ok."_ He paused for a second, taking a deep breath. _"I just wish I was there to make you feel better." _

"That would be nice. But hey…2 months until next time, right?" She smiled sadly.

"_Maybe even a bit less." _

"And at least I have something to count down to this time."

"_Just let me know where you'll be when you find out, ok?"_

"Yeah. I…can't wait to see you again. And for this to be over."

"_That's good to know."_ He smirked, trying to cheer her up. _"Even if I'm annoying and stubborn and try to make you read Hemingway?"_

"I never said you were perfect."

"_Yes, you have."_ He reminded her and she laughed.

"I'll watch what I say from now on. Or you might start thinking I love you or something."

"_Never."_ Jess chuckled. _"Anyway, I should go. One of the guys has been pacing around the living room, which I'm going to guess means they want something from me." _

"Ok. Take care of yourself, ok? Get some sleep instead of writing all night."

"_I'll try." _

"Not good enough."

"_Fine, I'll sleep."_

"Thank you." She smiled.

"_I love you, Ror."_

"Love you too. Now go work. And say hi to the guys for me."

"_Ok. Bye."_

"Bye."

She threw the phone on the nightstand, picking up a pillow and hugging it tightly, biting her lip.

"Just a few more months…"


	30. Late Mean What?

**A/N: Classes have started again so my updates might be slower. However, they will keep on coming. Thank you for the reviews and enjoy. **

**lovecow, the 40 day thing was a reference to the length of the marriage between Lorelai and Chris. Yes, Luke and Lorelai had been married for longer than that in the last chapter. **

* * *

**Late. Mean. What?**

Almost two months later, a warm Saturday evening, Rory was sitting outside of her hotel, a paper cup filled with coffee in her hands, waiting. Rather impatiently. When she saw a cab pull into the parking lot, she jumped up excitedly, only to see a middle-aged couple walk out of it. Letting out an unsatisfied sigh, she sat back down, twisting the cup in her hands. A couple of minutes later, another cab pulled up and a smile finally appeared on her face when she recognized the dark-haired man sitting in the back. Forgetting her cup on the bench she hurried to the car, barely giving him a chance to walk out, a bag in his hand before her arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly. Smirking, he put a hand on the small of her back and pulled her even closer to him, placing a small kiss on her temple as the cab drove away from them, the driver shaking his head. Finally pulling back a little, she took his free hand in hers and squeezed it, while her mouth crushed his, her other hand slowly playing in his hair.

"You were late." She whispered, placing another kiss on his lips. "I was worried."

He hugged her again, trying to hold her as close to him as he could. "Plane was late. Couldn't find a cab. They all conspired against me."

"You should have told them your girlfriend was waiting for you. And experiencing what felt like a heart attack when she saw how late you were."

"I'm sure that would have made the plane land faster." He chuckled, kissing her again. "So can we go inside or do we stand in the parking lot all night, looking like morons?"

"One more minute." She hugged him, burying her face in the crook of his neck and he just tangled his hand in her hair, holding her. When she finally let go, she smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth and took his hand in hers again. "Ok, we can go now."

Shaking his head, he smiled and kissed her cheek, then picked up the bag from the ground, where he had dropped it and they both headed inside the hotel. Getting to her room, she closed the door behind them and he threw his bag in a corner of the room, cupping her face in his hands.

"I missed you." He whispered, kissing her gently and she quickly put her hands on his waist, kissing him back.

"Missed you too. You have no idea how much." She mumbled between kisses, her hands slipping under his shirt. She started backing them up towards the bed and he smirked, helping her pull his t-shirt over his head.

"Eager much?"

"Long…" She drew out the word as he lowered his mouth to her neck. "…time."

"You love me long time?" He chuckled, making her laugh.

"I love you forever." She pulled back, looking into his eyes, suddenly a bit more serious.

"Don't think that's what the movie meant…" He smiled, kissing her softly. "…but I'll take it."

* * *

Later that night, she was lying next to him in bed, smiling happily in the dim light coming from outside the window.

"So, surprise time?" He asked, propping himself up on one hand and tracing her arm with his fingers.

"Better than seeing you? Impossible." She smiled again, lifting her head and kissing him quickly.

"Since that was planned, I fail to see how it counts as a surprise. But I managed to get an extra day and a half off work. I don't have to leave until Wednesday morning."

She shot from her place, rolling to her side and hugging him as well as she could, placing kisses wherever she could reach. "How?"

"Doing weekends for the next two weeks. Convinced this local artist to agree to show his paintings at our next open house."

"So you sacrificed two weekends just to spend more time here?"

"It's not like I have that much to do with my free time. Better spent here." He smiled, running his hand down her arm.

"God, I love you." She mumbled, hugging him again.

"For not having anything even remotely resembling a social life?" He laughed softly, kissing the top of her head and putting his arm around her as well.

"This way no one will notice when I don't let you go back." She smiled, pulling back a bit.

"Chris will when there is no one there to cover his shift this weekend."

"Damn. Evil master plan foiled." Rory placed a small kiss on his lips. "I'll think of another one."

"Just watch out for any meddling kids."

"And their dog?"

"And their dog." He smiled, kissing her one more time before crashing back down on his pillow. She lied down on him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around him.

"Comfortable or do you want me to move?" She asked, looking up and he ran his hand over her waist, smiling.

"Don't you dare move."

"Good." She whispered, kissing his shoulder. "You tired?"

"Slept on the plane. The advantage of not having to drive over here."

"That and it doesn't take 20 hours. Stupid massive country."

"Want to move to Luxembourg?" Jess offered, chuckling as he kissed her forehead.

"Tempting. Can you convince Obama to run for president there instead?"

"Nope. But I'm sure we can find some politician you can follow around the country."

"What? On their daily walk?" She laughed, tightening her hold on him.

"As long as I get to see you every day, I don't really care."

Rory propped herself up again, sliding a bit further up on the bed so she could look into his eyes, her hair falling around them. Lifting her right hand, she slowly traced his jaw and lips, smiling. He caught her hand in his and kissed her fingers softly, then let go of it and put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I love you." He whispered against her mouth.

"Really?" She smiled, pulling back a bit to look at him.

"Yeah." He nodded, kissing her again.

"Good." She kissed him one more time, then went back to lying down. "Did I tell you yet how great it is to see you?"

"You tell me that every time you see me."

"It's because it barely ever happens. I don't have time to realize how much you annoy me."

"I'm hurt." He smirked, kissing the top of her head.

"No, you're not." Rory laughed, moving back to the pillow next to his.

"How do you know?" He chuckled, rolling to his side and putting his hand on her waist. "How do you know I'm not just braving it out right now, trying not to cry?" He started tickling her, making her laugh.

"Jess, stop!" She pushed his hand away, moving farther away from him on the bed. "First off, never ever do that again."

"Why?" He cocked an eyebrow, looking at her.

"Because I said so, that's why. And because if you do, I will make you pay in ways you won't like, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am. Second?"

"Second what?"

"You started with first off. That implies that there's a second, if not a third and fourth as well."

"Oh, yeah." She smiled, moving back closer to him and cupping his face in her hand. "Second, you're not hurt because you know I was just teasing you. And because if you really annoyed me, you could very well annoy me over the phone so I wouldn't still be with you. And you know that too."

"That I don't annoy you?"

"Yes." She nodded, leaning in and kissing him.

"I am going to choose to take that as a compliment." He smirked, pulling her close to him again.

"It was meant to be. I think."

"I'm sorry, you actually make a living as a journalist?" He laughed, rubbing her arm.

"Mean!" She stuck out her tongue and he rolled over until he was almost on top of her, starting to trail kisses along her jaw and collarbone.

"Forgiven?" He smirked when he looked back at her and she smiled, nodding.

"Just because I missed you. And I'm so happy that you're finally here." She lifted her head and kissed him, running her fingers through his hair.

"You're happy I'm in St. Paul? Really? You've been waiting for this for a long time, have you?"

"I'm happy you're with me." She whispered, smiling. "The location is not important."

"Good. Because I am happy I am here as well." He kissed her softly. "With you. I couldn't care less about St. Paul."

"You may have just hurt the entire city's feelings."

"They'll get over it." He smiled and she cupped his face in her hands, kissing him.

"I love you." She whispered, smiling.

"You don't have to keep saying it, you know that, right?"

"I know. I just…like telling you." She ran her fingers slowly down his face. "I know you know and I don't have to constantly remind you of it but I like telling you. Does it bother you?"

"Let's see…" Jess smirked, placing a kiss on her neck. "Beautiful girl, naked…" He cocked an eyebrow, moving back up and trailing kisses across her jaw. "Telling me she loves me. Oh, yeah, it's awful."

She lifted her head and kissed him, smiling. "I'm hungry." She mumbled when she pulled back, making him chuckle.

"What does that have to do with what we were talking about?"

"Nothing. I just am."

He put his hand on her stomach, gently caressing her skin with his thumb. Ducking down, he kissed the spot right below her navel, then looked back up at her. "How hungry?"

"Starving." She tangled her hands in his hair, smiling.

"Room service?" He smirked, kissing her abdomen again.

"They don't have it. This hotel is not that fancy."

"You don't happen to have anything to eat around here?"

"Nope." She shook her head, ruffling his hair. He slid up and looked at her, kissing her.

"So this means I have to drag myself out of bed and go hunt down food?"

"I'm coming with you." She leaned in and kissed him. "I don't want to spend time away from you."

"How about work on Monday?"

"I am not thinking about it." Rory smiled. "I am ignoring all that and focusing on finally being with you, no matter how little time we have together." She kissed the corner of his mouth, running her hand through his hair again. "Are we going?"

"Sure." He grumbled, smirking at the same time. Kissing him one more time, she sat on the edge of the bed, picking her jeans from the floor and sliding them on, then grabbing her t-shirt. She stood up and gathered his clothes, throwing them on the bed next to him.

A few minutes later, they were walking down the street, his arm draped across her shoulders and hers wrapped around his waist.

"So, how are the guys?"

"They're fine. Send their greetings and everything. Matt made me promise I'll ask you again to move in with us."

"Tell him I appreciate the offer."

"Will do." He leaned over, kissing her temple. "Lorelai?"

"Great. She and Luke are thinking of maybe taking his boat down for a week to celebrate their 6 month anniversary."

"Let me guess…her idea?"

"More of a combined idea. Possibly inspired by Taylor who's trying to get Luke to paint the diner in summer colors."

"What exactly are summer colors?"

"Ask Taylor."

"I'll just use my imagination." He smirked and she pulled him even closer to her, smiling.

"But hey, she's only called you 'hoodlum' once or twice since the visit to Stars Hollow. And I think those just slipped out."

"Next she'll decide she likes me."

"I think she does." Rory lifted her head and kissed his cheek quickly. "I think she's realized that you're not going anywhere and she doesn't have much of a choice."

"She could hate me. That's a choice."

"Why would she hate you?"

"Ask your grandmother, she has a pretty good list."

"Grandma's stubborn. And remember the whole 'I am not thinking about things that annoy me'? She's in that category."

"Understood."

She put her other arm around him, hugging him and placing quick kisses on his cheek. "I missed you so much."

"Really? Because I didn't get it the first 50 times you said that." He chuckled but stopped walking and kissed her.

"Really, really missed you." She whispered between kisses, her hands clutching his t-shirt tightly. "And don't you ever dare be late again!" She remembered, placing one more kiss on his lips, then starting to walk again.

"You really were worried?"

"Planes crash. Cars crash."

"I seem to remember that one."

"Yes, but sometimes cars crash and the damage is way worse than a fractured wrist." She cringed thinking about all the things that could go wrong and Jess lowered his hand, rubbing her arm.

"You worry too much."

"I know it's crazy, but it's just my mind is going too fast and thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong that I forget that there are rational explanations for things."

"You're right, it is crazy." He kissed her cheek. "But I will try to not be late again, if it's something I can control. Chinese?"

"What?"

"Chinese restaurant, 20 feet ahead. Keep up." He chuckled and she stuck out her tongue, then leaned over and kissed him.

"Chinese sounds good."

A while later, back in the hotel room, they were sitting on the bed, digging through the boxes of food.

"Are you done with the book?"

"What are the chances of me having finished writing it since the last time you asked?"

"Slim to none, but worth a try." She reached over with her fork in his box and picked up a mushroom.

"Hey!" He looked at her, smirking.

"What?" Rory tried to smile innocently, but ended up bursting out laughing.

"My box, my food. Try that again and be prepared to pay."

"You're mean."

"Yes, just awful." He smirked, leaning over and placing a small kiss on her lips.

"Any chance I can convince you to at least tell me what your book is about?"

"Nope."

"You know this means I will imagine it's about horses happily frolicking through the meadows, right?"

"Not too far off. They're actually unicorns."

"Jess!" She pouted, putting her empty box on the nightstand. "A hint? Tiny, tiny hint?"

"Erm…no."

"Please?" She drew out the word, taking his box out of his hands and moving closer to him.

"No. And I wasn't done with that."

"Though." She leaned into him, starting to trail kisses down his neck. "Pretty, pretty please?"

"How many times can I say no?"

"Why can't I even get a hint?" She started pouting again and he kissed her, his fingers playing with a strand of her hair.

"Because."

"Is it like _The Subsect_?"

"Ror…" He threatened playfully, pulling her in for another kiss.

"Romance?"

"What?" Jess chuckled, moving back to look at her. "Do I look like Danielle Steel?"

"If I say yes, will you tell me what it's about?"

"No."

"You are mean." She kissed his cheek, smiling playfully. "But I love you anyway."

"Good to know."

* * *

Even later that night, Rory was lying in bed, her head propped up with one hand, looking at him as he slept.

"Are you hoping I will say something about the book in my sleep or getting ready to stab me?" He mumbled after a while, not opening his eyes and she pushed a strand of hair away from his face with her fingers.

"Jess?"

"Huh?" He asked again, his eyes still closed.

"What would you say if I asked you to marry me? Today?"


	31. Hypothetically

**A/N: I know this chapter is short but better than nothing, right? I've had a couple of very long and bad days so I could use some reassurance that this doesn't suck. Review, pretty please?(Yes, this is me begging but after 8 hours in a lab just for my experiment to go to heck, I'm beyond caring. Anyone know any good jokes?). Ugh. Anyway, stop complaining and let you read. Hope you enjoy this and thanks to all that still read and review this. It really does mean a lot. **

**

* * *

Hypothetically **

"_What would you say if I asked you to marry me? Today?"_

"What?" Jess opened his eyes and looked at her, now fully awake and trying to understand what she was asking.

"Would you marry me today? I just want to know."

"Would or will? Because those two verbs? Very different." He answered, sitting up on the bed and she moved up as well, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

"Either. Both."

He paused for a few seconds and ran his hand down her leg slowly, stopping on her ankle. "Maybe." Shaking his head, he shrugged. "I don't know. It's late and I'm too tired for a hypothetical conversation. Unless it's not hypothetical." He looked at her, waiting for her answer and she bit her lip.

"I…don't know. I was thinking and you woke up and it kind of popped out. I'm not trying to freak you out."

"So if I said yes, you wouldn't?" He ran his hand through his hair a few times, slightly confused.

"Are you saying yes?"

"I am not saying anything."

"Just…answer, ok? It doesn't matter all that much, I promise. Everything will stay the same."

"Unless I say I will and you say you will, then everything changes."

"Will you?"

"I think I would." He paused for a second, looking straight into her eyes. "But I won't."

"Ok." She nodded quickly, then let go of her legs and hugged him instead, kissing him. "Why won't you?" She asked when she pulled back, breathless.

"Because if we got married today, you would regret it."

"I wouldn't."

"So that's your way of saying you would and will? If I had agreed to it, obviously."

"No, that's my way of saying I wouldn't regret it. Which I guess implies that I would. Not sure about the will, but that's kind of a moot point right now."

"Maybe you wouldn't regret marrying me. But not having your mom, Luke, your grandparents, everyone you care about there, probably. And even if I think it's stupid, you might someday regret not walking down an aisle and having at least those people there, if not more. The flowers, food, big white dress…all that. Not getting a real wedding, if you want to call it that."

"So that's the only reason you're saying no?"

"That's why I am saying that if you were sure you wouldn't regret it, it probably wouldn't be won't."

Rory crushed her mouth to his again, barely giving him a chance to finish his sentence, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it as hard as she could. "I love you." She whispered when she pulled back, her forehead resting against his.

"Yeah, I kind of got that from this conversation. Unless you just like asking people if they would marry you." He smirked, placing a small peck on her lips before she pulled back and took a deep breath.

"No…it's just that every time I think there is no possibly way I could love you any more than I already do, you have to say or do something amazing and I just can't help but wonder how you manage to do it and how exactly is it humanly possible to love someone this much."

Jess lost his sarcastic smirk and a small, honest smile appeared on his lips instead and he cupped her face in his hands, caressing her skin with his thumbs while his fingers played slowly in her hair. "I love you too." He kissed her softly then pulled back, leaning against the head board. "Though I still don't see what I said that would cause that but hey…" He chuckled, his smirk back on and she ran her fingers across his cheek, shaking her head.

"You never said you would regret it. Or think it's too soon. Or something. Don't make me explain it." She laughed, finally relaxed and he pulled her in for a hug, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm not." He pulled back and kissed her temple. "Now get some sleep. Before you come up with some other crazy idea."

"I was just presenting you with a completely hypothetical situation."

"That couldn't have waited until the morning?"

"Eh, well, I never said I have good timing."

Jess chuckled and lied down on the bed and she followed, resting her head on his shoulder, her arm wrapped around him. After a few seconds of silence, he ran his fingers up her arm.

"Ror?"

"Yeah?"

"How hypothetical was it?"

Looking away from him and pulling the sheet higher up his body, she placed a small kiss on his chest. "Let's just say that if you hadn't brought up mom and all that, it probably wouldn't have been at all…hypothetical. But…it's better left like this. And pretending it was. Because you were right, I would probably regret missing out on all that."

"But marrying me?"

Rory lifted her head, rolling around to look into his eyes and smiled. "No."

"Ok." He lifted his head and kissed her, then she lied back down, closing her eyes and trying to fall asleep. "Can I ask for one favor?"

She opened her eyes again and smiled, running her hand down his chest. "Leave any future hypothetical questions for daytime?"

"That too." He agreed with a chuckle. "I know you're your mother's daughter and everything, but if this conversation ever shifts into the less hypothetical land, let me do the proposing, ok? I think I'd like to have that."

"Ok." She nodded, then smiled. "I never thought you'd be traditional when it comes to this."

"I am not saying it will involve me getting down on one knee or even a ring on the spot. I just think I might like to be the one doing the asking."

"Don't wait forever, ok?"

"I'll try not to." He smiled, kissing the top of her head and hugging her even closer to him.

"Good night, Jess."

"Night."

* * *

The next morning, Rory walked back in her hotel room, holding a bag in one hand and two cups of take-away coffee in the other one. Closing the door behind her with her foot, she dropped the bags on the small desk that was in the room and walked to the bed, sitting down. She looked down at Jess, who still had his eyes closed and ran her fingers through his hair, whispering his name softly when his hand shot from under the covers and wrapped around her wrist, pulling her down. She yelped in surprise and he smirked, opening his eyes. She tried to pull back but he held her tightly, making her try to smack his hand away, giggling happily.

"Jess, let me go!"

"Nope." He chuckled, stopping her hand with his free one. After a few seconds she finally calmed down, trying to stop laughing.

"You had to scare me like that?" Rory finally asked when she could breathe calmly again.

"Payback." He ran his fingers over her arm and she moved up, kissing him.

"What for?"

"For not leaving a note so I don't wonder if you've been abducted by aliens when I wake up to an empty room."

"I was getting us breakfast. Thought you deserved a treat after me not letting you sleep with my questions last night."

"Not the only way you kept me awake last night, you might remember." He grinned, placing a kiss on her neck.

"Well, you weren't complaining about that." She grinned back at him, then cupped his face in her hands, kissing him. "Can you let go now so I can go bring the food? And the coffee?"

"Guess so." He kissed her one more time before letting go and she got up, picking up the bag and cups and moving them to a nightstand, then sat back down next to him.

"Mom says hello."

"You already talked to her?"

"It's almost 11. Of course I did. Otherwise I'd never hear the end of it. Again." She handed him a cup, keeping the other one for herself.

"Did you share last night's conversation with her?"

"Nope. I don't think I will, either. She likes you and all, but she didn't react too well to the thought of me wanting us to never end. Well, ok, it was way better than I expected but I will prefer to keep this one to myself for now."

"Hey, it's not like I am going to tell her." He smirked, drinking from his cup.

"Does it bother you?"

"That you don't want to tell your mother that we talked about eloping? Hypothetically, of course."

"That I don't want to tell her now. I will tell her someday."

"Ror, I don't care what you tell her." Jess cupped her face in his free hand and she kissed his palm. "As long as she doesn't get anything to torment me with, everything else is up to you." He smirked, making her smile.

"You know she knows the Christmas story, right?"

"I am choosing to believe she won't bring it up."

"You're adorably innocent some times." She laughed, kissing his hand one more time before picking up the bag and handing him a donut from it. "She just hasn't had a chance to use it. Yet. Wait until next Christmas and you won't hear the end of it."

"I can't wait." He deadpanned, putting the cup on the nightstand and taking a bite out of the donut. "Thank you for breakfast."

"Now I can brag about bringing you breakfast in bed." Rory laughed, leaning in and kissing him.

"I highly doubt coffee and donuts count as breakfast but I appreciate the thought."

"Making it up to you. Or trying to."

"No need to." He shook his head, dropping the donut on the nightstand and picking up the cup of coffee again. "Especially not with really bad donuts."

"I also have blueberry muffins that are even worse." She laughed, moving closer to him on the bed, putting her legs over his.

"So the only thing I deserve for being woken up last night is bad food?"

"If you get up and dressed, I promise I'll buy lunch. And hopefully we'll have better luck." She leaned in and kissed him. "And yes, that was my way of subtly hinting to the fact that I am starving and I really want to go to lunch."

"Subtle?" He smirked and Rory shrugged, smiling.

"I don't function well when not fed. Will start shutting down soon."

"Got it." He ran his hand over her leg again, placing a small kiss on her knee before moving her legs away and getting up. He put the cup back on the nightstand and kissed the top of his head. "You can finish that if you want it."

"Thank you." She picked up his cup as well, holding both the cups in her hands and he chuckled, running his hand through his hair while he walked to his bag.

"No one is going to steal it. You can set it down until you're done with the first one."

"I like to be safe."

Shaking his head again, he picked up his bag and put it on the desk, picking up some clothes from it while she tilted her head to the side, watching him.

"What now?" He asked, turning around to look at her.

"You really should start sleeping naked. I'd get a better show in the morning."

Snickering, he took his clothes and walked back to the bed, smoothing her hair down with his hand and leaned over, placing a small kiss on her lips. "You would have been blushing about a million different shades of red for even thinking that in high school. And never would have said it out loud."

"I've been thinking and saying a lot of things I never would have told you in high school."

"Feel free to share the less than saintly ones."

Rory ran her hands down his bare chest, stopping them on his hips, just above the hem of his sweat pants. "Right now I'm thinking that if I don't get food soon, I won't be happy. And that was a major understatement."

"Understood." He nodded, squeezing her hand and then walking to the bathroom.

* * *

A few hours later, after they had lunch, they were just walking down the street, not really heading anywhere.

"I don't want to head back to the West Coast." Rory sighed, hugging him closer to her.

"Why? Is California too sunny for you?"

"It's too far away from you. I don't like it."

"Ask Obama to move it closer if he gets elected."

"It won't be necessary for him to move a whole state if he becomes president. It's not like I'll have to continue to follow him."

"What if your magazine asks you to go to D.C. and continue this?"

"I haven't thought it that far." Rory shrugged, placing a small kiss on his cheek.

"Washington isn't that far away from Philadelphia. We could see each other on weekends."

"I don't know." She smiled. "I don't think I'd like to do that. I could use a break from politics after this. And being even closer to you than D.C. wouldn't be a bad thing."

Jess pulled her closer to him, kissing her temple. "Don't give anything up to be with me. We can always find a way to see each other. Don't pass on a great job you'd love to do just because you want to be closer to me, ok?"

"Jess, I don't want to think about that. When we get there, we will talk about it. Until then, can I just enjoy seeing you?" She smiled, stopping him in the middle of the sidewalk and kissing him, her hands pulling him closer by his t-shirt. "And…I wouldn't be giving anything up, ok? Yes, it's still months away but when I have to make that decision, you will be a factor in it. As well as mom and everyone else."

He hugged her, kissing her cheek as he rubbed her back slowly with his hands. "Ok."

"Can we go back to the hotel?"

"Why?"

Letting go of his t-shirt and circling his neck instead, Rory kissed him, smiling. "I'm tired of walking."

"So no more movie?"

"No more movie. They stopped making good movies years ago anyway." She giggled and he kissed her one more time before taking her hand and starting to walk back towards the hotel.


	32. Too much, never enough

**A/N: For no good reason, I love this chapter. I hope you guys like it as well. Thank you for the reviews, you are all awesome :). **

**

* * *

**

**Too much, never enough**

Monday afternoon, Rory walked in the hotel room, finding Jess sitting at the desk, typing. Putting her arm on his shoulders, she leaned over, kissing his cheek.

"Lucy, I'm home."

"Hey." Jess answered, turning around and placing a small kiss on her lips.

"Work?"

"Yeah. The magazine is supposed to go to the printer on Friday and we're still not done."

"Need any help?" Rory pulled her phone out from her pocket and put it on the desk, then dragged a chair and sat down next to him.

"You've been at work for the last…" He quickly glanced at the clock on the screen. "…10 hours and you're still offering to help me finish this?"

"Just thought it might be done faster if you had some help." Rory smiled, kissing his shoulder, her hand resting on the back of his neck and her fingers running slowly across his skin.

"I can do it. I don't have that much left anyway. Half an hour, maybe an hour."

"Ok."

"Thanks." He leaned in and kissed her, rubbing her knee gently.

"If you change your mind…?"

"I'll let you know."

"Good." Rory kissed him again, then got up. "I'm going to let you focus on this." She ran her fingers through his hair, looking down at him and smiling, then walked to the bed, curling up in a corner and pulling a blanket over her body.

"Something wrong?" Jess asked, looking in her direction quickly.

"Nope." She shook her head. "Just tired. Very, very tired."

"Ok." He turned his attention back to the small screen, trying to finish editing the article he was looking at. After a few minutes he glanced over at the bed and a smile crept on his lips when he saw her sleeping peacefully, hugging a pillow in her arms. Almost twenty minutes later, he heard a phone ring and picked it up from the desk, not really paying attention.

"I'm almost done with the edit! I'll send it over in two minutes!" He sighed frustrated, getting ready for the same conversation he'd already had six times that day with Matt.

"_What?"_ The female voice at the other end asked, confused.

"You're not Matt."

"_Excellent deductive skills at work there. Now would you mind telling me who you are and what you're doing answering my daughter's phone, though?"_

"Lorelai?" He finally figured it out, looking quickly at the phone in his hand only to realize it wasn't his. "It's Jess. Sorry about that. I thought it was my phone."

"_Is Rory around?"_

Jess looked at the bed again and saw that she hadn't woken up. "She's asleep."

"_Oh…"_ The woman paused for a second, unsure of how to continue. _"How are you?"_ Lorelai finally asked.

"Fine. You?"

"_Also fine. The inn is busy this week, which I suppose is a good sign but I would like some time to breathe. Anyway, I suppose I should go now?" _She hesitated a bit.

"Sorry again about this. I'll tell Rory you called."

"_Thanks. Tell her to give me a call when she wakes up. Or tomorrow."_

"I will."

"_Bye, Jess."_

"Bye." He put the phone as far away from him as he could, and pulled his closer, then went back to his computer.

"Who was that?" Rory mumbled from the bed, not opening her eyes.

"Your mom. I answered your phone by mistake."

"At least it wasn't my other boyfriend." She smiled, pushing the pillow aside and sitting up on the bed.

"At least it wasn't your grandmother. Other boyfriends I can deal with."

"Grandma still doesn't call. She waits until I call or grandpa calls me and then I get a cold greeting and around three questions before she remembers something else she has to do. How long was I asleep?"

"Almost half an hour." Jess finally pressed the send button, then slammed his laptop shut, standing up and walking to the bed. "Done."

"Done, done? You mean I get you all to myself now?" Rory smiled, extending her hand and taking his and he nodded, sitting down next to her.

"All yours." He agreed, putting his hands on either side of her and leaning in, kissing her.

"Good." She cupped his face in her hands, caressing his skin with her thumbs. "It's unfair that we have to waste precious time because of work."

"Sorry. I tried to be done before you got back."

"It's not your fault, Jess. I was gone for 10 hours and I have an even longer day tomorrow. Stupid, annoying work."

"Want us to quit? Move in a cardboard box?" He smirked, resting his forehead against hers and she let go of his face, circling his neck instead and hugging him close to her.

"I'm tempted." She smiled, placing a small kiss on his cheek. "But our books would have no place to live."

"We'll rent a storage unit. Go visit them once a week." He crashed on the bed, taking her with him, his fingers playing in her hair. "You hungry?"

"Too tired for food. You?"

"Same." Pausing for a second, he smirked, leaning in and kissing her. "Life used to be more exciting than this at some point, right?"

"I vaguely remember a time." She stifled a yawn, resting her hand on his waist.

* * *

Late the next night, after Rory was finished with her article on Obama's speech accepting the nomination, she walked back in her hotel room, finding Jess on the bed, a couple of paper bags next to him on the nightstand and a book in his hand.

"Longest day ever." She sighed, kicking off her shoes and crashing in bed next to him, resting her head on his shoulder while he rubbed her arm gently.

"Worse than yesterday?"

"Way, way worse. At least now it's done and I have…oh, less than ten hours left before I have to return to work. And eight left with you. Stupid work." She bit her lip, trying not to cry at the thought of him leaving again and he hugged her closer to him, kissing the top of her head.

"Sleep?"

"For the weak." She sat up on the bed, kissing him and pointed at the bags. "Food?"

"Yeah. And coffee."

"Thank you."

"Anytime." Jess rubbed her knee gently, smiling. Opening the bag, she picked up two boxes and handed him one, taking the plastic forks out as well and opening her box. After they were done eating, she drank from one of the cups, then lied back down, curling up on the pillow and looking at him, running her fingers slowly though his hair.

"I don't want you to go."

"I know." He kissed her wrist, smiling. "It's not that easy leaving either."

"Ugh, I know. After last time, I think I've decided I prefer to be the one that stays. Or at least not the one that has to leave first. But hey…five more months, right?"

"We're more than halfway through this. It's all downhill from here."

"Not really."

"Technically it is."

"Yes, but you see, when we first started this, I wasn't in love with you."

"I remember a rant to that effect." He smiled, suddenly stopping her hand and pulling her closer to him, crushing his mouth to hers. When he pulled back, she smiled, her fingers moving back to play in his hair.

"Yeah, well, what I was trying to say is that it was somewhat easier when I didn't love you. Sure, it wasn't easy but it was easier that it is now."

"I'll miss you too." Jess interrupted her before she started ranting, putting his hand on her waist.

"How did you know I was getting to that?" She bit her lip, smiling.

"Call it a hunch."

Rolling until she was almost on top of him, Rory cupped his face in her hand. "I love you." She whispered, a couple of tears shining in her eyes and he kissed her, putting his arms around her and hugging her close to him. "So, so much."

"I love you too." He whispered back, placing another small kiss on her lips.

"You don't think it will ever get easy, do you? Being away for months at a time?"

"Probably not."

"And it's ok that I hate Obama for winning, right?"

Jess chuckled, placing a small kiss on her palm. "As long as your boss doesn't know."

"I don't think I have to like the man to do my job. And, really, I only dislike him for winning. Other than that, I'm sure he'll do a great job when he wins."

"Oh, so now he's actually becoming president?"

"He better. I'm not following the loser around for this long." She laughed, kissing the corner of his mouth quickly. "Just…tell me again it's not that long."

"Five months really is not that long. And hey, we're getting good at this. We have experience now at only having contact through phones and email."

"I'll still miss this." She kissed him, smiling sadly though the kiss. "And, I don't know, just hugging you. Coming back from work and having you around. Waking up next to you."

"Not this?" He cocked an eyebrow, smirking and sliding his hands under her shirt, his fingers gently running over her skin.

"This too." She laughed, kissing him again. "Definitely going to miss this."

* * *

Even later that night, after a few hours of restless sleep, they were back down in the hotel parking lot, waiting for the cab and trying to find a way to say goodbye.

"I can't believe I have to spend this much time away from you. It's so unfair." Rory sighed, crossing her legs under her on the bench and looking at him.

"It is. But in five months it will be over." He tried to remind her, but she bit her lip, shaking her head.

"Too damn long. I hate it."

"Come here." Jess asked and she moved closer to him on the bench, putting her legs down and taking his hand in hers, trying in vain to smile. He leaned in and kissed her, cupping her face in his other hand, then rested his forehead against hers. "It's not that long. I promise."

"Don't be nice."

"What should I do then?"

"I don't know." She shook her head, placing a small kiss on his lips. "Just don't be nice."

"I could yell. Would that work?"

"It might." She finally smiled weakly and he leaned in again, kissing her.

"I don't want to yell at you."

Rory stood up, still holding his hand and making him stand up as well and hugged him, burying her face in the crook of his neck and he wrapped both arms around her.

"I love you." She whispered, not looking up at him and he hugged her closer, kissing her temple.

"For not wanting to yell at you?"

"For being nice to me even when I'm crazy." She finally looked up and he saw the tears slowly running down her cheeks. Lifting his hands, he wiped her face gently with his thumbs, then kissed her.

"Don't cry, ok?"

"I'm trying very hard not to. But you're leaving and I don't know when I'll see you again and I really want to go pack my bag, jump in the car with you, get on the plane with you and just…go back with you. Not have to miss you." A new batch of tears starting building up in her eyes and she blinked rapidly, trying to chase them away. "I know I'm being a baby." She kissed him, hugging him close to her again. "But I miss you so much when you're not around…"

"Really? Because I actually like not having you close. Gives me more time for my other girlfriend." Jess smirked, making her laugh.

"Yeah, well, my other boyfriend is boring. I like you more."

"Find a new one. Do it the sailor way-get a guy in every city."

"I'll stick to just you." She smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"You better."

"So you're allowed to have another girlfriend, but I can't?"

"Have a girlfriend? Depends." He chuckled. "Do I get to…?" He tried to ask but she slapped his chest playfully, stopping him mid-sentence.

"Don't even finish that thought. And I meant have another boyfriend."

"No, you're not." He pushed her hair out of the way and kissed the spot just below her ear. "You're just mine." He whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

"In that case, I demand you ditch this imaginary girlfriend of yours."

"Who said she's imaginary?" He grinned, making Rory laugh again.

"Well, in that case, I can break up with you so you can focus on her."

"Nope. You're not allowed to break up with me either." He leaned in and kissed her, cupping her face in his hand.

"So if we ever do break up, you'll turn into my stalker?"

"Saturday night you were asking me if I would marry you and now you're planning our break up?"

"Yeah, well, I got bored of you." Rory laughed, placing quick kisses on his lips. "Guess it's a good thing I barely ever see you." Her smile faded as she remembered that he had to leave and he hugged her, kissing her temple.

"I promise time will go by fast, ok?"

"Ok." She nodded as a cab pulled in the parking lot and she crushed her mouth to his again, squeezing his hand in hers. "Have a safe flight. And take care of yourself."

"I'll try to."

"And say 'hi' to the guys for me."

"I will. Have fun in California."

"Yes, it will be absolutely fantastic. Work, then work and when that's done, some more work."

"Hey, at least it's sunny."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy the sun when I walk to and from my hotel."

Jess kissed her, smiling as he picked up his bag from the bench and they both walked to the cab, her hand holding tightly to his. Opening the back door, he threw his bag on the seat and looked at the driver. "Give me one minute." The man nodded and Jess closed the door again, wrapping his arms tightly around Rory, kissing her.

"I love you." He whispered when he pulled back, squeezing her hand.

"I know. I love you too." She smiled, kissing him one more time. "Time to go." Jess nodded and kissed her again, then got in the cab. Waving as the car drove away, she stood in the parking lot, waiting until she couldn't see it any more, then walked back up to her room, looking at the clock only to see that she had less than an hour and a half before she had to go to work again. Getting ready to get into the shower, she opened the drawer to pick up some clean clothes, but spotted the note sitting on top of them and picked it up, unfolding it carefully.

"_I don't know what to say. All the things I could say, all the things I've read and apply to you feel useless and small and stupid. I'm being honest and it scares the hell out of me because honesty was never my thing. But when you're around, I just want to touch you, constantly, feel your skin under my fingers, your lips on mine, your body molded to mine. And, fuck, I love you so much that even that scares me. _

_It scares me because I might someday lose you. Because I might not make you as happy as I want to, need to, have to. Because, and if I don't stop quoting Henry Miller to you soon I will have to start paying his estate royalties, "__The one thing we can never get enough of is love. And the one thing we never give enough is love.".Because I feel that no matter how much I try, I will never be able to show you how much I actually love you. Because, and I know that that idea is probably out of your head by now, I would have jumped in a car and driven to Vegas with you, picked the first chapel and promised you in front of the world that I was going to love and be by your side forever._

_I have nothing more to say, but to repeat those things ad nauseam and that would just make me boring. And boring you to death has never been my plan._

_Jess." _

A couple of hours later, after getting on the plane, Jess pulled his book from his bag and sat down in his chair, getting ready to listen to the same instructions the flights attendants rattled off every time. After the plane took off, he tried to open his book but found a piece of paper hidden between the pages. Looking to see the man in the seat next to him already sleeping, he put his book back in the pocket of the chair in front of him and started reading her note.

"_Dear Jess,_

_Don't even ask when I found the time to write this. These few days have been chaotic so here I am, sitting down in a corner on my lunch break, trying to avoid the madness around me and write this to you. Because I have so many things I have to tell you and I would feel stupid if I told them to you in person, or maybe not stupid just…I don't know. Weird? Some things are better left for letters and notes. Writing is more honest than talking, it's simpler._

_Last time, your note said that you read something and it reminded you of me. Well, I was reading something and it reminded me of you and I wanted to tell you, but then I realized that I would have to explain it, maybe, and I would rather do it in writing. You've probably realized that there are some things I just can't explain to you, no matter how hard I try. Could be because my mind just doesn't work when you're around and I only want to tell you that I love you, over and over again, make sure you know, you never forget. Tell you you make me happy. Alive. __"All my beautiful lovely safe world blew itself up here with a great gust of high explosive love." That's the thing I was reading that made me think of you. It was that way in high school, when you just destroyed everything I thought I knew and it still is that way now. Because you keep taking everything I think I know and make me reconsider everything. _

_Because I never knew I could love someone this much. This way I love you. Is it crazy? Is it insanely and hopelessly romantic? Is it madness that I don't care about anything than having you close, always? I now understand every one of the books I ever read, when someone was talking about this great love and I would try to wrap my head around it, and wonder if I would do it for the man I loved at the time. And the answer would invariably be no, because it wasn't this and it wasn't you. I didn't know this then, but I finally get it. And all else is useless._

_I'd say I am going to end this before I get too romantic? Cheesy? But I've gone far past that. I don't know what you'll think when you read this, but…it's true. And I want you to know. _

_God, I feel like I've gone mad. And probably, by now, you agree. But, just because you quoted Henry Miller in that note I feel like I have to quote Anais Nin. And because these two sentences define how I feel when you're around. _

"_Someday I'll be locked up for love insanity."She loved too much.""_

_But really…what is much?_

_Love,_

_Rory__"_


	33. Of all the gin joints

**A/N: This chapter is a two-parter, so I'm going to try and get the next one up faster than usual and not keep you hanging. Thank you for the reviews, you're all lovely. I hope you like it. **

**

* * *

**

**Of all the gin joints**

Almost three weeks later, Rory was walking around Los Angeles on a hot Saturday morning, talking on the phone with her mother.

"L.A. is nice. I like it."

"_Go see everything. Star Tours, baby! And say hello to Jack Nicholson for me."_

"Mom, I don't have time for star searching. I'm just out looking for coffee, then I have to finish my article and email Jess."

"_Forget work! Forget Jess! Find Orlando Bloom, make him fall in love with you and live with him forever."_

"He's too pretty. I'll stick to Jess." Rory smiled.

"_Ah, you're too in love with the boy to see what amazing opportunity you're missing." _

"Yes, I probably am. And I like it this way."

"_How is he, by the way?"_

"Working. Still stubbornly refusing to let me read his book."

"_What have you tried?"_

"Everything."

"_And he's still saying no?"_

"Yeah."

"_He has strong will. Soon be a Jedi, will he."_ Lorelai grinned at the other end of the phone.

"I'm sorry, was that supposed to be your Yoda impersonation? Because it's a really bad one."

"_I already know that my husband was a Trekkie in his youth. There is no way I will actually put any of the Star Wars movies on to discover he was obsessed with those too." _

"Just start calling him Anakin and see if he reacts. Or calls you Padmé."

"_Knowledge may be power, but I don't want to know that about my husband. What if I find a Chewbacca costume in his closet?"_

"Mock him forever for it?"

"_You have great wisdom, child."_ Lorelai smiled again.

"I know." Walking around a corner, Rory almost bumped into a blonde man. "Oh, god, I'm so sorry…Logan?" She finally looked up, recognizing the man standing in front of her, looking as confused as she was.

"Hey, Ace." He nodded after a few seconds, coming out of shock.

"Mom, I'm going to have to call you back."

"_Wait, I wanna know what happens!"_

"I'll call you back. Bye." Hanging up the phone and dropping it in her pocket, she looked at him, trying to smile. "How are you?" She asked, wrapping both of her arms around herself and taking a small step back.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Fine. Good. All that."

"You…moved here? Working for the L.A. Times? Daily News?"

"No, just following Obama on the campaign trail. Still working for Hugo's website. Actually, I'm not sure if you knew I worked for him, but I am. Have been for a year."

"I knew. He mentioned something." He nodded in agreement, running his hand through his hair. "This is..."

"Awkward?"

"I was going to go for a surprise."

"Yeah, that too." She smiled, a smack chuckle escaping her lips. "What are you doing here? Did you quit your job?"

"Just here for a weekend visit. Palo Alto was getting boring."

"Ok."

"So…do you have time for coffee? We can catch up. Tell me what's new with you."

"I kind of have to finish an article right now."

"Oh, ok. Dinner then?"

"I'm not..." She hesitated slightly, trying to formulate a response in her head.

"Just dinner, Ace." He lifted his hands in the air, a small smile on his lips. "Two old friends having drinks and something to eat and filling each other in on whatever happened in the year they haven't seen each other."

"I suppose we can have dinner." She smiled weakly, her mind rushing, trying to find a way to escape the uncomfortable situation she was in.

"Good. What hotel are you staying at?"

"_Magnolia_. I'd give you directions but I'm kind of lost myself right now so…"

"I'll find it. Magic of technology and all that. So, 8 work for you?"

"Sure, yeah, it's fine." Rory nodded, still not sure what was going on.

"I'll let you continue whatever it was you were doing and see you tonight, then. It's good to see you again, Ace."

"Yeah, you too. You don't happen to know where I can get coffee around here by any chance?"

"There's a Starbucks about 20 feet further up the street."

"Thanks."

"I'll see you tonight." As soon as he finished the sentence, he waved then walked away, leaving Rory standing dumfounded in the middle of the sidewalk.

* * *

As soon as she got her coffee and walked back to her hotel, Rory put her laptop bag down, deciding that her article could wait for a while and picked up her phone, dialing Jess' number.

"_Hey. You're calling early."_ He answered from the other end of the phone and she heard the familiar sound of papers being shuffled around.

"Working again?"

"_Yeah, well, this was my weekend. Fun times." _

"Sorry."

"_Six and a half more days and then I get two free days."_ He replied sarcastically. _"My life in wild."_

Chuckling, she sat down on the bed, trying to find the right way to tell him what she had to say. "Jess, you know I love you, right?"

"_Yes…"_ He answered, hesitating for a bit. _"Why? Because nothing that starts that way can end well."_

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." She took a deep breath. "I ran into Logan today."

"_Huh."_

"And he kind of asked me to dinner tonight and I said yes. Well, he asked me for coffee first but I have to write my article and then email you and about a billion other things to do so I said no to that and he threw the dinner thing in and I have no idea why I actually agreed to it. I think it was the whole I don't do well under pressure thing and my mind went blank so I kind of said yes without thinking about it." She rambled quickly, making him smile. "I'm just going to call him now and cancel, though, so I'm sorry I even mentioned it to you beyond a simple I ran into him because you should know that, even without the dinner thing. I think. Yeah, you should know." She ranted again, then smiled as she found a way to solve her problem.

"_Do you want to go?"_

"I don't know."

"_That's kind of a yes or no question."_

"I know." She sighed, biting her lip. "But I really don't know. I mean I would like to catch up and reminisce about college but if you're not ok with it, even the slightest bit, then I'm just going to cancel. Well, I don't know how much I actually want to go, really. Ugh, I don't know." She sighed again and he let out a small chuckle.

"_I'm not…not ok with it. I think. Give me five minutes and I'll get back to you on that."_

"I mean it, Jess, if you don't want me to go, I won't go. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"_Would there be a reason for me to feel uncomfortable over this?"_

"No. Definitely not. Logan and I are just friends. Less than friends really. Acquaintances."

"_You see, the fact that you've dated him for a long time means you're more than that." _

"We're acquaintances that used to share an apartment."

"_Ror…" _

She sighed, falling back on the bed. "I know. We're more than that. But still, if I actually go, there would be no reason for you to feel bad or uncomfortable about it. I love you, not him."

"_You know there's no way I'll ever be a hundred percent ok with you going for dinner with a guy who proposed to you, especially when I'm on the other side of the country. But if you want to go, go. It's not like I can stop you and really, you could go, not tell me about it and I would never know."_

"I want you to know, Jess. This doesn't work that way. I don't want to lie or hide things from you."

"_And you'd really not go if I asked you to?"_

"I'll call him as soon as we hang up."

"_I asked if you would, not to actually do it."_

"Would and will again. Different verbs." She smiled, sitting up on the bed again, leaning against the headboard.

"_Yeah, I know."_

"So?"

"_So what?"_

"So…do I go or not?"

"_You do what you want to do. It doesn't matter." _

"Jess, don't be mad."

"_I'm not. I'm saying it's your choice and it doesn't affect us in any way." _

"So this means I can go and you won't be mad?"

"_Yes, it means you can go and I won't be mad or spend the night pacing around the living room, wondering what you're doing. I trust you more than that."_

"You know nothing will happen."

"_I said I trust you, not him."_

"Jess…" She bit her lip again. "Nothing will happen. I promise."

"_Ok."_ He nodded, twirling a pen absent-mindedly between his fingers.

"And really, I would much rather be going to dinner with you instead of him. Hell, I'd rather have five minutes with you than go to dinner with him."

"_That's good to know."_ He smirked, relaxing again.

"That you should have known even without me saying it. It kind of ties in with the whole 'I love you' thing."

"_What are my chances of saying I'm trying not to be smug without you laughing?"_

"I'd say slim." She laughed, picking up a pillow and hugging it in her arms. "I miss you. So much."

"_Also good to know."_

"Also something you should have known. And Jess, really, if you change your mind and decide you're not ok with diner, just call and tell me, ok?"

"_I'm as ok as I can be, but I appreciate the thought. And can we stop talking about it?"_

"Ok, I'll stop mentioning it." She nodded slowly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

"_I suppose I should let you go and write your article. I'm kind of swamped with work as well."_

"Ok."

"_Can I ask for one favor?"_

"Anything."

"_Give me a call when you're done with the thing we're no longer mentioning and tell me how it went?"_

"It might be late, considering the time difference."

"_Doesn't matter."_

"I'll call." She replied, smiling. "Don't work too hard, ok?"

"_Tell that to everyone who's been calling all morning, will you? I'm trying to not work, but they're not letting me." _

"I'm sorry. Give me their phone numbers and I'll tell them to stop bothering you so you can finally finish that book. I want to read it."

"_You might have mentioned that a couple of times."_ He smirked, letting out a small chuckle.

"I know, I'm so subtle about it. But yeah, you know, I want to read your book. Just in case you forgot."

"_I will try to remember it from now on. 'Cause that will definitely speed up the process."_

"Hey, take your time, just ignore the world and work on it."

"_Sure, obviously. And how am I going to make enough money to pay rent?" _

"Cardboard box. You and me." She smiled softly, hugging the pillow again.

"_I'm stupidly used to this having a roof thing. But I'd consider sharing said roof with you." _

"Better than a box. So now I'll just let you go work, so you can have that roof. And walls and all that."

"_I'm not insisting on the walls thing."_

"What's holding up your roof then?"

"_Pillars?"_

"You're crazy."

"_Maybe." _

"Go work!" She laughed, playing with a strand of hair.

"_Yes, ma'am."_

"And say hi to Matt and Chris."

"_I will." _

"Ok. Bye, Jess."

"_Ror…?"_ He stopped her before she could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"_I love you."_

"I love you too."

"_Bye."_

"Bye." Putting the phone back on the nightstand, Rory hugged the pillow even closer to her, a goofy smile on her face. After a few minutes, she realized something and dialed his number again.

"_Yeah?"_

"Hey, me again."

"_Sorry, I was waiting for someone else to call me back. Although, since this is my cell phone, not the Truncheon phone…I'm tired."_ Jess smiled, his voice softening.

"Get some sleep tonight, will you?"

"_How about I get more coffee?"_

"Also works. But sleep. I mean it."

"_And again, I say "Yes, ma'am"."_ He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. _"You're bossy."_

"Only when you're being stubborn."

"_Did you forget something?"_

"Nope. I just realized you said you'd be willing to share your roof with me."

"_Yeah, I know."_

"Did you mean it?"

"_Yes…"_ He drew out the word, waiting to see what she had to say.

"I love you." She grinned happily, hugging the pillow even tighter.

"_You are crazy."_

"Why?"

"_You called me back just to ask me that?"_

"Yes. I wanted to make sure I hadn't misheard."

"_Ok, remember our entire hypothetical conversation? Sharing a house kind of goes with that. I'm pretty that's how it works."_

"I know. But that was hypothetical, somewhat anyway, and even if it wouldn't have been, I really didn't think it that far because well, I can't quit my job. So yeah, I basically wasn't thinking about that side of our hypothetical. But then you mentioned it, and I realized that that would be fun and amazing and I wanted to call you and tell you that. And that I love you, because you are amazing and you make me happy."

"_I still say you're crazy."_

"Yeah, well, that makes two of us." She smiled, throwing the pillow to the side. "But I would like having you around when I come back from work every day. Or sleep in with on weekends. All that. And yes, I know I've told you how happy those things make me, but I think this is the first time I've put all of them together with the coherent 'we might live together someday' thought."

"_Can I throw in a comment about various other extracurricular activities that can take place in a bed now without being called a pig?"_

She bit her lip, blushing. "Yes, that would be nice too. Ugh, and now I just remember how much I actually miss you. Stupid distance."

"_Sorry to cut this short, but stupid work is calling the other phone."_

"Ok, go."

"_Call you back?"_

"Just email when you have the time. I'm going to be writing my article anyway."

"_Ok. Bye."_

"Bye." Hanging up the phone again, she walked to the desk and pulled out her laptop, getting ready to start writing.


	34. Going for an award

**A/N: See? Next chapter up fast. How about I get a pat on the back in review form? I hope you like this chapter. Thank you for the reviews, you are awesome(and welcome, new readers!). **

**

* * *

Going for an award**

Later that night, Rory was standing in front of her hotel, waiting for Logan to arrive. A few minutes past 8, he finally got there. Getting out of his car, he walked to her, a grin on his lips.

"Hey, Ace. You look nice."

She nodded, smiling back at him. "Thanks. You, uh, look good too. Healthy. Which is a good thing."

He chuckled, looking at her. "Thanks, I guess. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, sure." The both walked to the car, trying to avoid looking at each other. At the end of a very quiet drive, they walked in a large restaurant and were seated at a booth. After a few more moments of silence, Logan finally looked at her.

"You're uncomfortable."

"Yeah." She nodded, biting her lip. "I don't know if I should be, but I am."

"Relax, Ace." He put his hand on top of hers but she quickly pulled it back, resting both her hands on her knees. "I don't bite. Well, not unless you wan…"

"Stop there." She snapped at him, not giving him a chance to finish his sentence.

"Ok." Logan nodded, trying to ignore her reaction, then quickly smiled again. "So, what's the job like?"

"Tiring. I'd like to be around home more, but other than that good. Still definitely looking forward to the elections so this can finally be over."

"And your mom?"

"Good. She married Luke a few months ago. Almost six months ago. Honor?"

"She's fine. Pregnant with her first child actually."

"Oh, wow, you're going to be an uncle. When's she due?"

"End of September."

"Congratulations. And send her and Josh my congratulations next time you talk to them."

"You should call her yourself. I'm sure she'd like to hear from you."

"I wasn't sure if I could, after…you know."

"Yeah, I do." He replied, suddenly more serious.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up." She bit her lip, not knowing where the conversation was going to go to.

"It's fine. Not like we can pretend it didn't happen, is it?"

"I suppose not. But we can not talk about it."

"Probably the best choice."

"Definitely." Rory nodded. After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, the waitress came and dropped their plates on the table.

"Ok, good, food." She exclaimed, happy with the distraction.

"You're that hungry?"

"Not really. But might make things less weird. You know, things to cut and chew and stuff."

"I see your working under pressure skills haven't improved much."

"Not really." She laughed softly. "Sorry. I'm not trying to make this any weirder than it is."

"It's ok."

"I'm just…it feels odd. Running into you like this and all. It was unexpected."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm slightly uncomfortable as well." He finally confessed. "So know you're not alone in this."

"Definitely helps." She smiled gratefully. "So, what else is new? This is supposed to be about catching up and all that." She remembered, trying to find something to talk about."How are your parents? Well, actually, I kind of know how they are because grandma loves dropping their names in conversations…"

"Why?"

"Uh, I…don't know." She dodged his question, not wanting to tell him that Emily was still hoping they'd get back together and make the conversation awkward again.

"I guess that means you know more about them than I do. Mitchum and I are still not on speaking terms and mom…well, she's taken his side."

"I'm sorry, Logan."

"It's fine." He blew it off quickly. "Really, is not even unusual for us. You might remember we weren't exactly the Cosbys. I suppose we'll resume communications at some point in the future."

"Good. I mean, you're supposed to talk to your family, but it's ok if you don't. Depends on the situation, I guess."

"Yeah, it does. So I take it your grandparents are ok?"

"Yeah. Grandpa's fully recovered after his surgery. Back at work full time, travelling and all that, with grandma on his case trying to tell him to take it easy. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Send them my greetings."

"Yeah, sure, I will."

Finishing his drink and ordering a new one, Logan looked at her, a sly smile on his lips. "Have you given any thought to what you're going to do after you're done with this job?"

"Not really. Apply for something on the East Coast. Preferably Philadelphia, but anything around that area works fine. Wouldn't say no to a job for the New York Times, you know."

"Why Philly?" Logan asked again. "I never knew you were a big fan."

"Uh…" Rory hesitated for a bit, not knowing exactly how to answer. "That's where my boyfriend lives." She finally decided to go straight for the truth.

"Boyfriend?"

"Yeah."She nodded, biting her lip.

"I didn't see that one coming." He remarked coldly, drinking from his glass. "I probably should have, though. So, this boyfriend, he's a good guy?"

"Yeah, he is." She smiled happily. "He's a really good guy." Pausing again, she finally realized something. "Actually, you've met him. Jess. He came to Hartford once when we were in college and we went to dinner? Well, you were in college, I was on my idiotic hiatus."

"You're dating that jerk?"

"Don't. If anyone was a jerk that night, that was you." The words flew out of her mouth, almost without realizing, leaving him looking at her, stunned. After a few seconds of silence, she shook her head. "I'm sorry. There was no reason to dig that up. But, no matter what your opinion of Jess is, I would prefer it if you kept it to yourself. He's a great guy and he makes me happy."

"You love him?"

"Yeah, I do."

"That was quick."

"You didn't honestly expect me to pine for you all this time, did you? And it's been a year, Logan. More than a year, in fact."

"No, but I did expect more from you than jumping in the arms of your jerk of an ex."

"What, sleep around for a while? Because I'm convinced you're not spending your nights crying over me either." She snapped again.

"That was uncalled for, Ace."

"At least don't insult my intelligence by telling me you haven't even been near a woman since we broke up. Because there's no way I'd ever believe that one. And what is uncalled for is the fact that you keep insulting my boyfriend, despite the fact that you barely met him. Try it a third time and this dinner will be over."

"You're really into this guy, aren't you?"

"What, it wasn't obvious from me telling you I love him?"

"So you'd say yes if he asked you to marry him?" He asked, bitterness and anger in his voice and she pulled back even further away from him at the table and leaning back against the cold fake leather seat, crossing her arms against her chest, not sure of how to answer.

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Take that as exactly what it was-me telling you that any marriage plans between me and Jess are none of your concern."

"Hey, I'm just asking a question. You didn't seem to have any trouble answering a different one I asked."

"Logan, what do you want from me? You honestly want to dig that up? We broke up, it happens. And frankly, you might remember that breaking up was your decision, not mine."

"Because you didn't want to marry me."

"I wasn't ready to marry you. And we would have both been unhappy if we would have gotten married. Even leaving Jess out of this, I am still convinced it was the right decision. For both of us."

"Well, it's nice to know you didn't love me as much as I loved you. Terrific, really."

"Oh, wow, are you going for the jerk award tonight or what? I don't want to argue this with you anymore. I am sorry you got hurt, but guess what? It wasn't the easiest spot for me to be in either. But I am over it and I have a good life and a good guy who I love and who loves me back. If you just asked me to dinner to make me feel guilty over not marrying you, well, tough, because you can't. It was the right choice." Digging through her purse, she picked up a couple of bills and put them on the table. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really don't feel like being here any longer. Have a nice life." Standing up, she looked at him, picking up her purse.

"I drove you here." He managed to reply, looking at her.

"I'll take a cab." Rory snapped back, leaving him behind as she headed for the door. Hailing the first cab she could see, she picked up her phone, quickly dialing Jess' number.

"_Hey."_ He answered.

"Hey." Rory finally smiled softly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm done with dinner."

"_Earlier than I expected. How was it?"_

"How many synonyms of awkward can you think of?"

"_Three right now but if you give me five minutes, I might come up with more."_

"Well, add uncomfortable, pointless and oh, yeah, while we're adding things you can throw in a bit of shouting, and you have a pretty good picture."

"_Shouting?" _Jess tried to not get angry and listen until the end, knowing there wasn't anything else for him to do.

"He decided to bring up the fact that I said no when he proposed. And he called you a jerk, which I didn't agree with. Long story short, it ended with me storming out of the restaurant."

"_Not sure how I feel about you defending my honor."_ Jess chuckled, trying to calm her down.

"Well, I couldn't let him be mean to you. I'm the only one who's allowed to call you a jerk."

"_What, I'm no longer perfect?"_

"Right now, you're way more than perfect. But you might annoy me at some point in the future, so I reserve my right to be the only one that calls you that."

"_Fair enough. Are you ok?"_

"I'll be fine once I'm back in my hotel room." Remembering her night, she hid her face in her free hand. "Ugh, this night sucks. I wish you were here."

"_I'd like to be there as well. I'm sorry I can't be."_

"Don't worry. I know. I'll just take a long shower once I'm back in my room and forget this night ever happened."

"_Can't say I'd mind being there for that either."_ He smirked, making her laugh softly.

"See, this is why I need to be allowed to call you a jerk."

"_You made it too easy."_

"Maybe. Give me two minutes." The cab pulled in the hotel parking lot and she took out money from her purse, paying the driver then got out. "Ok, done." She walked in the hotel lobby, then pushed the button for the elevator.

"_Back at your hotel?"_

"Yeah. Ugh, I'm just…I want to see you. I miss you so much. No chance you're going to be up at my room when I get there, is it?"

"_Sorry, Ror."_

"It's ok. I'm being a baby again. 4 months and a bit left, right?" She walked out of the elevator and into her room, dropping her purse on the table.

"_Yes."_

"And that's not that long?"

"_It's not."_

"Good. And after these months are over, we can talk about the whole sharing a roof and its respective pillars thing again? Seriously talk about it?" Rory started walking around the room, biting her lip.

"_Well, depends on what you mean by seriously. If it means that we're not allowed to throw in any jokes, then no."_ He smirked.

"I mean seriously as in considering as a real possibility. Jokes are allowed."

"_Yes." _

"Ok. I'm…looking forward to that conversation. And to spending more time with you. Stop missing you." She rambled, then took a deep breath. "Anyway, I should let you sleep. And I do mean sleep as in go to bed, turn the light off, close eyes, not read or write."

"_What if there are monsters under my bed? Can I leave the lights on?"_ He chuckled again, hoping she'll relax and feel better.

"If you're that scared of monsters, you can have a night light. Ask Santa for one."

"_Can it be in the shape of some cartoon character?"_

"Which one?"

"_I don't know."_

"I'll get you a book shaped one."

"_Wait, wasn't this supposed to go in my letter to Santa? Why are you getting me one?"_

"Sorry to break this to you, but Santa isn't real." She laughed, sitting down on the bed.

"_You've just ruined my dreams here. I might have to go cry now."_

"You're procrastinating from going to bed. Again."

"_Yeah, that's kind of the whole not enough sleep thing happens."_

"I will remind you that you have work again tomorrow." Rory smiled.

"_You see, I was all excited about the night light…"_ He tried to sound serious but she still ended up laughing_. "…and then you had to tell me that Santa isn't real and I have to work tomorrow. Any other bad news you'd like to share?"_

"The Easter bunny isn't real either." She smiled. "Now go to sleep."

"_Ok. Have a good night."_

"You too. Bye." She hung up the phone, then threw it on the bed, getting ready to go in the shower when it rang again. Not checking the number, she picked it up.

"Forget something?"

"_What?"_

"Sorry, mom. I just got off the phone with Jess."

"_So that's why it was busy!"_

"Yes, that's why. Why are you still awake?"

"_Are you kidding? I want to know how dinner went!"_

"Dinner went…not well." Rory quickly recounted her night to her mother.

"_Oh, wow, what a jerk."_

"I'm sure it could have been way worse than that. I think I just got out at the right moment, before we provided an entire restaurant with free entertainment."

"_Are you ok, hon?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine. Talking to Jess helped. And, despite the shouting and unpleasantness, I'm glad I went."

"_Why?"_

"I don't know if I can explain it. I think it's because now I am sure that there is not even the smallest chance that we could ever be friends. Don't take this the wrong way, it doesn't mean that I wanted to be best friends, but I would have preferred if I didn't have to cross the street if I ever saw him again. But now that chapter is even more closed than it was before."

"_I'm sorry, kid."_

"Eh, it's fine." She just brushed it off quickly. "I wanted to make it possible to at least be civil if we were ever thrown in the same room at some point in the future, for one of grandma's things or whatever, but if he doesn't want to, I'm not going to cry about it. And really, it's not like I know if I'll even see him again anytime in the next 20 years. So good that I went, bad that it didn't work any better, could have been worse and everything stays the same."

"_So, living in Philadelphia then? After this job is done?" _Lorelai changed the subject.

"Doesn't seem like a bad plan, does it?" She smiled happily. "It's close enough to Stars Hollow that I can come spend weekends home, there are a couple of good papers there…all signs point to it being a good idea."

"_And you promise you'll come visit?"_

"I promise. Actually, I'm thinking of spending a week or so home after the elections, just so we have some time together and then start applying for jobs again. I was thinking week-long movie marathon, so we can at least try to make up for all this time."

"_What about Jess?"_

"He understands. He knows how much you and the town matter to me."

"_Aw, sweetie…That's nice of you. Just…how about you spend a few days there first, then a few with me? And then go on to rule the world."_

"And you wouldn't mind?"

"_The fact that I suggested it means that I wouldn't mind. I know what being away from the guy you love is like."_

"Wait, does this mean that Jess now has your official stamp of approval?"

"_He's had it for quite some time now. Tell him he now has an official invitation to join in any movie marathon. And I won't even try to send him behind the counter at Luke's when we're there, to make him bring coffee, because my mean husband still refuses to let me go there, but has no problems with him doing that."_ Lorelai rambled quickly, before an idea popped in her head. _"Oh, can I get a real stamp and stamp his hand? Or forehead? Or something visible?"_

"I don't know. Take it up with him." Rory laughed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I should go take a shower and then sleep. I want to walk around tomorrow, maybe I'll actually have time to see more than the inside of a coffee shop."

"_Bite your tongue! Coffee shops are the best things in the world. There is nothing more important to see in a different city."_

"Yeah, but Luke's coffee is better. Tell him to send me a cup."

"_I'll teleport you one myself first thing in the morning."_ Lorelai grinned. _"Take care of yourself, babe."_

"I will. Night, mom."

"_Good night." _


	35. Fishing expedition

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, you are all great. I'd tell you I love you all but that might be somewhat inappropriate, so I'm going to stick to you're awesome! I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**

* * *

Fishing expedition**

Almost three months later, a warm September morning, Jess was sitting on the couch in his living room, mindlessly browsing through the channels on the TV, annoyed with his friends who had even taken his computer away from him. Drinking from his coffee mug, he stopped on a random channel, picking up the book that was next to him on the couch and opening it, starting to read. After a few pages he heard a knock on the door and put the book back down, now officially angry.

"If it's a singing telegram, I swear I'll kill him." He muttered under his breath, walking to the front door and opening it, only to find Rory standing on the other side of it, a huge happy smile on her face and a bag at her feet. When she saw him, she wrapped her arms around his neck, crushing her mouth to his, not giving him a chance to say anything. Putting both his arms around her, he hugged her close to him, not breaking their kiss until they were both out of breath. She was the first one to pull back, the smile still there and then leaned closer to his ear.

"Happy birthday!" She trailed kisses on his cheek until she reached his mouth again. "I missed you." She kissed him, cupping his face in her hands.

"Really?" Jess smirked, placing a quick kiss on her lips, and she nodded.

"Yeah. Missed you a lot." She lowered her hands and wrapped them around his waist. "Can I come in or are you still too shocked to remember your manners?"

"I never had any manners." He pushed her hair out of his way, kissing her neck quickly and she laughed.

"Then I will tell you that it is customary to invite your guests inside the house, not let them stand in the doorway all day."

"Even if they're uninvited guests?"

"Yeah, well, I missed that class at etiquette school. But I can always leave, if you don't like my surprise."

"I might never let you leave again." He admitted, his usual sarcasm forgotten for a second and she smiled, kissing him.

"Can't say I'd mind it."

"Good. This way it's not kidnapping." He smirked again, kissing her, then picked up her small bag and walked in, his hand holding hers tightly. Dropping the bag on the floor, he sat on the couch and she followed, sitting as close to him as she could, but he picked up her legs and draped them over his, one hand wrapped around her waist and the other one resting idly on her knee. Running her fingers though his hair, Rory smiled and he leaned in, kissing her.

"So you're the reason for Matt's new rule?"

"What new rule?"

"No working on birthdays."

* * *

_Earlier that morning, Jess walked out of his bedroom and into the kitchen, picking up a cup and filling it with coffee. Looking up from his bowl of cereal, Matt sighed._

"_What are you doing up so early?"_

"_Work. You might remember that concept."_

"_You don't work on your birthday, Jess, it's the rule!" _

"_Since when? And speaking of which, how the hell do you know it's my birthday?"_

"_We work together, you had to put your date of birth on a lot of forms. We had this conversation last year, when I wished you a happy birthday and you decided to be confused by it. And the year before that and the year before that. And no working on birthdays is my new rule, aptly named Matt's Birthday Rule. Don't fool yourself into thinking that this has anything to do with you, but my birthday is a couple of months from now and I want the day off. However, since it would be illogical and selfish to have that rule only for me and your birthday is first-you're not working today."_

"_Couldn't you have at least told me last night, so I didn't wake up this early?"_

"_Yeah, well, I never said I'd worked out all the details. You're just the prototype. Some things are bound to go wrong."_

"_And what the hell am I supposed to do all day?" Jess sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table. _

"_Not work. Read a book, watch TV, smell a rose. I'm sure you'll find something." He paused for a second, drinking from his mug. "Just for the record, no work means no writing either."_

"_Oh, great." _

"_I know, isn't it fantastic?" Matt replied sarcastically. "And we're making sure of that." He pointed behind Jess and he turned around to see Chris standing in the doorway, holding a laptop in his hands. _

"_He's taking that downstairs, to remove temptation." Matt laughed again, waving at his friend as he walked away. "Now we can't take all your pens and scraps of paper away from you, and even if we did, we're sure you have enough of a brain to realize you can buy more, but we trust you not to. Breaking the rules is crime, and crime doesn't pay, kids!" He laughed, picking his cup of coffee and walking downstairs, leaving Jess annoyed. _

* * *

"I don't know anything about that." She smiled, kissing his shoulder. "I only asked him for the day off for you."

* * *

_Three weeks before, on a Saturday afternoon, the phone in the Truncheon office rang. Picking it up and getting himself ready for yet another pointless conversation, Matt sighed._

"_Truncheon Publishing, Matt speaking. How may I help you?"_

"_Matt, hey, it's Rory. I'm not sure if you remember me but…"_

"_I always remember the women I ask to move in with me." He laughed, playing with a pen in his hand. "Jess is upstairs, want me to get him for you?"_

"_Nope, I could have called his cell if I wanted to talk to him."_

"_Oh, yeah. So I am going to assume from that that you want to talk to me. How may I be of service, she with the amazing power of making Jess cook?"_

_Rory let out a small chuckle, then went back to what she wanted to say."Jess' birthday is in a few weeks and I can take the day off and I wanted to come over and be with him for his birthday. But it's on a Friday and I need to negotiate the possibility of Jess taking the day off as well."_

"_And…why don't you just tell him? He knows he can take time off any time he wants, especially for important occasions."_

"_I kind of want it to be a surprise." _

"_Ah, why didn't I think of that? I'm sorry, I will go get more coffee after this conversation is over."_

"_So…can he take the day off?"_

"_Yeah, sure. I'll think of something to say to him. And talk it over with Chris, just to let him in on it and because I am awful with secrets and I might end up blabbing so he can keep me from doing that." _

"_Thank you!"_

"_Glad to be of service. And this way, I don't have to get him a birthday gift." Matt chuckled again and the two continued their conversation for a few more minutes, before hanging up._

* * *

"Not sure how much I like you conspiring with my coworkers." Jess smirked.

"It's not conspiring…it's people that care about you getting together to make something happen that will hopefully make you happy."

"Goal achieved." He nodded, smiling at her.

"Good. That was the point." She kissed him, running her fingers down the back his neck. "I love you, birthday boy." She ran her tongue over his bottom lip, smiling when he pulled her closer to him.

"So…when do I get my present?" He smirked again, starting to trail kisses down her neck.

"Which one? Because I have more than one present for you." Rory smiled back, pulling away from him for a second so she could look into his eyes, then attacked his mouth.

"The one I have in mind." He slipped his hand under her shirt, running his fingers across her skin and she grinned, looking at him.

"Right now."

* * *

Some time later, they were back in Jess' bedroom, with Rory lying next to him, her fingers running up and down his chest slowly. Placing a soft kiss on his shoulder, she smiled happily.

"So you found something to do with your no work day?" She laughed, looking at him and kissing his shoulder.

Jess flipped them over, propping himself up with one hand and putting the other one on her hip under the thin blanket. "You could say that." He replied. "Why? Any complaints?"

"God, no." She laughed, lifting her head and kissing him.

"Good."

"Any plans for today?"

"You mean other than this?" He ducked down and kissed her collarbone, making her smile.

"Yes. How do you want to celebrate your birthday?"

"By ignoring the fact that it's my birthday and staying here, with you, all day."

"Jess, be serious." She laughed, looking at him.

"I am." He leaned in and kissed her, then went back to looking at her. "I don't like birthday parties, unless they're yours and they end up with you kissing me…" He smirked, pulling her body closer to his. "…and I haven't seen you in a very long time."

"You kissed me back." Rory pointed out.

"Well, what was I supposed to do? Say no?"

"You could have." She smiled. "Pushed me away, told me I was crazy, all that."

"I don't believe I was doing much thinking at that moment." He chuckled, running his thumb over her skin. "In fact, I don't believe I'm doing much thinking right now either."

"You're allowed to not think today. It's your birthday, you should be spoiled and do nothing at all. Hence why I'm here."

"Huh…so you'll do anything I want?" He grinned, cocking an eyebrow, making her laugh again.

"As long as it's not cooking. I don't want to burn your house down and leave you homeless on your birthday."

"Trust me, not even close to what I have in mind." He kissed her again, smirking.

"And what do you have in mind?"

"Right now?" He smiled, lying back on his pillow, and she moved back to rest on his shoulder. "Just this." He placed a small kiss on the top of her head. "However, I will reevaluate that in a while."

"Ok." She smiled, placing a kiss on his chest. "Can I get some coffee before we…reevaluate?" She grinned playfully and he nodded.

"Sure. I can go get it for you."

"What part of you're not allowed to do anything on your birthday did you not understand?"

"All of it. Explain it again." Jess chuckled and she shook her head, sitting up.

"Wait here, I'll be back in a few minutes." She picked up his t-shirt from the end of the bed and slid it on, then got up, finishing getting dressed. "Anything I can get for you?" She asked, leaning in and kissing him.

"Nope."

"Ok." She smiled one more time, then walked out and into the kitchen. Picking up the coffee tin she poured some in the machine, then added water and waited for coffee to be done. After a couple of minutes, Jess walked in the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her shoulder.

"What are you doing here?"

"Got bored waiting for you."

Rory put her hands over his, smiling happily. "You're weird today. A good weird. Sappy weird."

"I missed you." He whispered, kissing her temple.

"Sap." She snickered, squeezing his hand.

"Way to be nice to me today."

"I thought you didn't like your birthday."

"It's been better than I anticipated it would be."

"Really? Why is that?"

"Don't go fishing. You know why." He replied, leaning in and kissing her neck. "Your coffee is done." He pointed to the coffee machine and she picked the pot, filling a mug.

"You want some?"

"Yeah."

Picking up a clean mug from the sink, she filled it up as well then put it down next to hers and turned around in his arms. "Done."

"Thanks." He let go of her and put his hands the counter, making her take a step small back until she was leaning against it as well and attacked her mouth. When he pulled back, she sighed, happy.

"Three months is too damn long."

"I agree. Quit work. Stay here."

"I can't." She smiled sadly and he nodded.

"I know. I just feel like being selfish and demanding completely unreasonable things today."

"A month and a half and it won't be unreasonable."

"And then you're staying here?" He smiled, looking at her.

"If you want me."

"Want you?" He pulled her earlobe between his teeth, getting a soft moan out of her. "You didn't get enough proof of that?"

"Want me to stay with you, Jess."

"Do I get to do this all I want?" He trailed kisses down her neck, his hand slipping under the shirt she was wearing and caressing her skin slowly.

"Until you get bored and tired of me."

"Fishing again." He smirked, putting his hand on her hip and pulling her closer to him. "And yes, I want you." He crushed his mouth to hers while she tangled her hands in his hair. "To stay with me, of course." He chuckled, making her laugh as well.

"So are we having the sharing a roof conversation now?" Rory smiled, escaping from his grip and picking up her mug, then walked to the living room with Jess right behind her, carrying his mug.

"Is there a conversation to have?" He asked, sitting down on the couch and pulling her as close to him as he could, while still being able to look at her.

"It feels like there should be. This is a massive decision."

"Ror, the only conversation we have to have right now is the one about you looking for a job outside of Philly. I want us to live in the same city, maybe even house. That's to be debated at a later date. But I don't want you to look for jobs just here, because you want to be with me. Got that?"

"Got it." She smiled back, kissing him as he rubbed her knee gently. "But if I find a good job in Philadelphia?"

"Then we can talk about living together, if you feel like there should be a talk. I think it's pointless to have a debate over something that, as far as I know, we both want."

"So you really think we can not drive each other crazy if we go from barely ever seeing each other to sharing a place?"

"I think there's only one way to find out."

"And if we hate it?"

"Then we have a problem." He chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist. Rory tried to answer but Matt and Chris walked in the room, talking to each other. Seeing the two on the couch, her bag still abandoned on the floor, Matt sighed.

"Please tell me that you haven't been sitting on that couch since she got here. I expected more from you, Jess."

Elbowing him in the ribs, Chris stepped closer to him, trying to whisper. "T-shirt. His."

Blushing furiously, Rory looked away from them, hiding her face in Jess' shoulder and he placed a small kiss on her forehead, then shot the other two a glare. "My rules still apply, just for the record."

"Lunch. In there." Chris pointed to the kitchen, grabbing his friend's sleeve and they both walked into the room.

"You ok?" Jess looked at her and she nodded, biting her lip, her cheeks still bright red. Trying not to laugh, he rubbed her back slowly. "I thought I was the only one who could get that shade of red."

"What are they going to think of me?"

"You? Exactly what they thought until now. However, I just climbed about three places on the lucky bastard scale."

"Jerk."

"I really do prefer bastard." He finally chuckled, pulling her closer to him and attacking her mouth. They were interrupted by a male voice coming from the kitchen door.

"Get a room!" Jess pulled back, while Rory looked away, suddenly very interested on a spot behind the couch, trying to avoid Matt's eyes.

"Just came to tell you we're all going out drinking tonight."

"And if I say no?"

"You don't have a say." Matt snickered, then disappeared back in the kitchen. Looking back at Rory, Jess kissed the spot below her ear. "So, should we take his suggestion and get a room? Preferably before your cheeks cover even more of the dark red scale." He chuckled and she nodded, picking up their mugs from the table, before heading for the small room again.


	36. Hemingway

**A/N: I'm updating this a day sooner than usual because I have about a million things to do in the next 2 days and well, better early than late right? And since it's my birthday on Friday, I'm asking for reviews as presents. Be nice :). I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**

* * *

Hemingway**

As soon as they reached Jess' room, she put the cups on the nightstand and sat down, waiting for Jess who was behind her, carrying her bag. Dropping it on the floor, he sat down on the bed.

"If you want to unpack, I can empty a drawer for you."

"I'm only here until Sunday afternoon, it seems silly to unpack. But thank you anyway."

"Ok."

"I wanted to stay more but I can only get one day off this close to the elections."

"And you decided to waste it by coming here? You could have just waited for your birthday and asked me to come to Stars Hollow. Much better plan."

Crawling closer to him on the bed, she cupped his face in her hand, smiling. "Time spent with you? Never a waste. And I wanted to be here for this." She ran her fingers through his hair, leaning in and kissing him. "Plus, mom is already planning a birthday plus one month birthday party, so I wouldn't want to ruin her plans."

"I still say you should have waited."

"I still say you're stubborn in that case." She stuck out her tongue, laughing. "Oh, and speaking of birthdays, presents! I have presents!" She giggled, jumping out of the bed and making him shake his head and laugh.

"You didn't have to get me anything."

"It's your birthday, that's the rule. Birthdays are just not the same without presents." She unzipped her bag, looking at him and started digging through it. "Also, it's nothing big, so don't get too excited."

"Oh, I'll try not to." He deadpanned as she stood up, holding two neatly wrapped packages in her hands.

"Which one do you want to start with?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Pick one." She tried to pout, her happy smile still on her lips.

"Fine, that one." Jess pointed to the smaller one. Handing it to him, she sat back next to him, waiting for him to open it, trying not to laugh and give anything away. Throwing away the last layer of paper, he started laughing when he saw a nightlight shaped like a book.

"Just something to keep you safe from monsters when I'm not here." She smiled at him, resting her chin on his shoulder and kissing his cheek quickly.

"You're crazy."

"Probably." Rory laughed, kissing his cheek again, then shoved the other package in his hands. "Now open this one. This is the more serious one."

"So what would you have done if I had wanted to open this one first?"

"Pouted until you agreed that it was a better idea to do it the other way around?"

"Why did you give me a choice then?"

"Seemed like the right thing to do." Putting the package down next to him for a second, Jess cupped her face in his hand, kissing her softly.

"I missed your craziness." He whispered softly, making her smile grow bigger and she placed a quick kiss on his palm, then another one on his lips.

"Open your present."

"Fine." He grumbled, picking up the other package and starting to unwrap it, finding a copy of _A Farewell to Arms_ inside it. Picking it up, he looked back at Rory, a smirk on his lips.

"You know I already own this."

"Open it." She pointed to the book and he did as instructed, leafing through the pages only to find her notes on every one of them.

"So do these say _"Kill me now, this man is so unbelievably boring, only idiots could like this"_?"

"Some of them do." She nodded, kissing his shoulder. Reaching the last page, he chuckled when he saw that she had written the exact thing he had written at the end of _The Fountainhead_.

"No chance this has changed your opinion?"

"No. But at least now you can't claim that I didn't try. And I remembered that I had to read another one of his painful books in college. So you see, now I've read two of his books."

"Oh, wow, impressive." He smirked, pulling her closer to him and looked at her, then leaned in and kissed her neck. "She looked fresh and young and very beautiful. I thought I had never seen anyone so beautiful." He whispered in her ear, making her smile.

"Do you have the whole book memorized?"

"Most of it." He admitted, getting another smile out of her.

"Crazy man with nothing better to do."

"Well, you're far away. What else am I supposed to do but read?"

"Work. Write. Go out. Watch TV. Anything but reread one of these books again."

"Isn't TV supposed to rot your brain? Want me to turn into an idiot?" He chuckled.

"Well, I could argue that Hemingway can have the same effect." Rory stuck out her tongue, making a face. "And even if you turn into an idiot, it would be ok, as long as you're still my idiot."

"Someone's feeling possessive again."

"Someone missed you." She straddled him, cupping his face in her hands and smiled. "And the same someone loves you."

"Love you too." He whispered against her mouth, putting his hands on her hips and looking at her. "We're going to have a strange life."

She ran her fingers through his hair, placing a series of small kisses on his lips. "Stop quoting that book."

"What if I make it more interesting?" He smirked, his thumbs slipping under her shirt again.

"Like?"

Jess leaned in, kissing her neck, then whispered in her ear. "Like this: "I wish we could do something really sinful."."

* * *

Later that night, all four of them were in a bar, drinking and talking.

"Ok, since we didn't get any dirt last time, we need some now." Matt announced. "Rory, what was teenage Jess like?"

"What makes you think she's going to answer that now?" Jess asked, picking up his beer and drinking from it.

"Well, it's your birthday. This is when we're supposed to reminisce about the good years we've had together."

"Can we please stop mentioning that it's my birthday?"

"No." Matt shot him down quickly, focusing his attention back on Rory. "So? What can you tell us?"

"He was…pretty much the same. Only with a leather jacket. And an attitude."

"The attitude he still has."

"Actually, I think I still have the jacket as well somewhere."

"Really?" Rory looked at him and he ran his hand over her leg.

"Yeah."

"Oh, she likes the sound of that." Chris chimed in, making Rory blush again.

"Role-playing? Or just prop?" Matt looked at him and Jess quickly focused his attention back on them, glaring.

"You really don't want to still be alive tomorrow, do you?"

"Sorry." Matt smiled, lifting his hands in the air and Chris nodded. "Yes, we're sorry. He deserves our crap. You don't."

"Solidarity is dead." Jess deadpanned, trying not to smirk.

"That's because she's nice and you're a jerk." Matt laughed. "Ok, anything else you can tell us now?"

"I don't know. What do you want to know?" She smiled, looking at them and Jess shook his head.

"You just gave them a free for all pass. Which I am going to regret."

Putting her hand over his, under the table, she squeezed it quickly. "Don't worry, you can stop me at any time."

"No, no, no. Doesn't work that way. You asked, we get to pick your brains about anything we want."

"Matt, what is with your fascination with my life? Do you have a crush on me?" Jess smirked, drinking from his bottle.

"I cannot answer that while Rory is here. It would break her heart if she knew of our feelings."

"It's ok." Rory smiled at Matt. "I'd never stand in the way of true love."

"Why are you not on my side?" Jess chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him on the wooden bench.

"Because." She stuck out her tongue, then kissed his cheek quickly. "Go on, ask away."

Leaning in closer to her ear, Jess whispered for only her to hear. "You'll pay."

"So, were you two all lovey-dovey in high school? He's told us the story, but I don't trust him." Matt asked, looking at Rory. "Feed each other, him picking you up from school, holding hands?"

"No. Really, really no."

"So the whole ex-boyfriend story is true?"

"Idiot ex-boyfriend. Let's stick to the correct name." Jess chimed in the conversation, smirking. "And yes, it is true. She can confirm."

Rory nodded, kissing his cheek.

"And no chance we can get the swan story now, is there?"

"Can't. Told you, come to Stars Hollow. Mom will be more than happy to give you a play-by–play of his teenage years and the swan story. And I doubt he can convince her not to tell you."

"I'll get started on organizing a Truncheon expedition." Chris laughed, picking up his bottle again.

"I'm sorry, you can ask everything and that's what all you ask? Really?" Jess asked incredulously.

"Hey, you'd tell me everything that's going to make you look good. I want to hear about cheesy, sweet Jess."

"Then you're focusing on the bad period, because high school? Not warm and fuzzy."

"I'm sure it wasn't all that bad. Rory?"

"He was nice if he wanted to be."

"Like?" Chris finally joined their conversation again.

"I'm afraid that if I give examples, he'll get mad."

"Aw, that's cheating." Matt sighed.

"Sorry, I have to be on his side. I don't want to be kicked to the couch tonight." She smiled, kissing Jess' shoulder.

"I'd get mad, but you two are just too cute together for that to happen." Matt laughed, making Jess pick up a piece of paper, make it into a ball and throw it at his head.

"Jerk." Matt shot back after dodging the ball. "Anything you want to know, Rory? Because after that one, it's a free for all."

"I'll just ask him if I want to know something."

"And he'll tell you?"

"Yes." Jess nodded. "I'd rather you hear it from me than them." He rubbed her arm slowly and she kissed his shoulder again.

"Ok, now that's just adorable."

"I'll kill him." Jess placed a small kiss on Rory's head, rubbing her arm again.

* * *

Later that night, Rory and Jess were back in his room. Looking at him, Rory bit her lip, running her fingers through his hair.

"Jess…?"

"Hm?"

"You'd really tell me something if I asked you?"

"Probably. Why? What do you want to know?"

Moving closer to him, she rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arm around him.

"It's kind of stupid and unimportant but it's been bugging me tonight."

"Just ask, ok? I learned how to say no a time ago, if I don't want to answer."

"And you won't get mad at me?" She kissed his chest, waiting for his answer.

"Why would I get mad?"

"Because it's really personal."

"Ror, you already know about my childhood, which is more than anyone else does. Trust me, there's nothing more personal than that."

"Ok." She nodded and he put his arm around her, rubbing her arm. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him, pulling a bit away. "Were you…did you ever love someone else?"

"Does it matter?"

"Not really, I just want to know."

"And if I said yes, you'd want to know about it?"

"I don't know." She moved up on the pillow next to his, looking at him. "Is it yes?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." He shook his head, leaning in and kissing her.

"And it's not just no because you wouldn't want to answer more questions about that so you're just going to go for the easy answer to make me stop prying?"

"No. It's no because…that's what it is. There have been other women, and some lasted for more than a night, or a week or whatever, but none of them mattered."

"You know it would be ok if it was yes."

"I know." He nodded, intertwining their fingers together over the blanket. "But it's not."

"Follow up?"She smiled and he nodded again.

"Yes. Although I have a feeling I will regret it."

"Probably not."

"Ok. Ask."

"Did you ever care about another woman?"

"Not really. I wasn't kidding when I said they didn't matter. I'm not trying to make you feel good or anything. Just never worked out that way."

"Not even with the ones that lasted for more than a week?"

"Well, I am in bed with you right now so that would indicate that no, not even with them."

"Why?"

"Got bored, I guess. None of them had read _The Fountainhead _5 times or knew who Ginsberg was." He smirked, dropping his hand under the blanket and pulling her closer to him.

"Ginsberg…that's a beer, right?" Rory grinned, looking at him and leaned in, kissing him. "I'm happy they didn't last. Now I get to have you."

"Yes, what an amazing prize you get." He snorted, and she ran her fingers through his hair again, smiling softly in the dim light.

"Your sarcasm is very unattractive sometimes but I'm glad we agree. You are amazing." She whispered against his mouth, kissing him.

"You only still think that because we barely see each other. Give me a few months after we move in together, you'll realize just how annoying I can actually be." Jess smirked, running his hand over her skin.

"I know how annoying you can be. I still can't wait to see you more. I'm tired of missing you all the time."

"Weren't you the one that was worried earlier about us ending up hating each other if we actually got to live together?"

"Changed my mind. Now I can't wait. And hey, you may be the one that realizes how annoying I can be and breaks up with me."

"Nope." He mumbled, kissing her palm and making her smile. "You're not annoying."

"I don't cook."

"I already know that."

"I clean the house too much."

"I'm sorry, that's supposed to be annoying? I have a feeling it will be the other way around because I never clean. Kind of obvious if you look around you."

"Am I going to be allowed to clean?"

"If you want to. And as long as it doesn't involve me doing anything."

"Then not annoying either."

"Really?"

"I like cleaning. It calms me down."

"I know other things that calm you down." Jess whispered in her ear, grinning and she blushed.

"You like embarrassing me?"

"I like the fact that you can still be embarrassed, even though you're naked next to me."

She blushed again, looking away from him. "You're a jerk sometimes."

"You're incredible all the time." Rory looked back at him as he finished his sentence and smiled.

"You make me happy."

"You make me feel." He admitted, looking into her eyes and she just crushed her mouth to his, smiling through the kiss.

"You're the only one I can imagine spending my life with."

"Even when I'm a jerk?"

"I'm not that perfect either."

"Different perspectives. You're pretty damn close to perfect to me." He admitted again.

"I love you." She kissed him, pushing him until he was lying on his back again and moving to lie almost on top of him. "More than I ever knew I could love anyone. Differently."

Cupping her face in his hand, he returned her smile, kissing her again."I love that you're finally mine."

"Next you're going to admit you've been pining for me all this time."

"I haven't been pining." He smirked, moving his hand to the back of her neck. "I just have standards when it comes to relationships."

"I'm sorry, that line would only work if I didn't know you dated Shane."

"Who?"

"High school? Blonde? You seemed to be very happy to be attached to her at all times."

"That's 'cause I couldn't be attached to you." Jess lifted his other hand, putting it around her waist, smirking. "And you were jealous of her."

"She was an idiot."

"That's not a denial. And really, tell me about it. Have you ever tried having a conversation with an empty pot of coffee? That would have been more fascinating."

"So is she the most annoying girl you've ever dated?"

"What's with this fascination you seem to have tonight for my love life?" He pulled her in for a kiss."And no."

"I'm not sure. I just want to know. So who was the most annoying?"

"Right now, you may be going to the top of the list." He chuckled, keeping his arms around her as she tried to escape, annoyed.

"Let me go." She struggled but he still held her tightly until she calmed down, then kissed her.

"I don't know who the most annoying one was. There was this girl who used to make this really grating, high-pitched squealing sound when we…"

"Shut up!" Rory stopped him, trying very hard to stay angry and not burst out laughing. "You are a jerk."

"What? I'm just answering your question."

"You're not allowed to talk or think about other women like that when we're in bed."

"Why?"

Smiling, she leaned closer, kissing the spot below his ear before whispering. "I don't want anybody else to touch you. I'm silly. I get furious if they touch you." Lifting her head again, she looked at him and he attacked her mouth, his hand moving again to the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry, you're going to have to move. I have to go get another blanket." He chuckled when she pulled back.

"Why? You cold?"

"No. But you just quoted Hemingway so hell is going to freeze over in about five minutes and we night need it."

Laughing softly, she started trailing kisses along his jaw and chest, then lifted her head up again to kiss his mouth.

"I still say he's a bore, but that quote seemed to fit."

"The fact that you remembered it gives me hope."

"Don't fool yourself. A few good sentences don't make a book good. And that was the last time I am ever going near one of his books."

"I suppose that's fair." He smirked, flipping them over and kissing her neck. "But just for the record, I believe it's unfair that you get mad at me for thinking of other women when you're the one that started this conversation."

"And now watch me the one that ends it." She smiled and he lifted his head, looking at her.

"Really? How?"

"Like this." She whispered, lowering her arms to circle his waist and crushing her mouth to his.


	37. Last time

**A/N: Thank you for the review, you're all so incredibly awesome. This fic wouldn't be here without your support. Hard to believe it's reached 100.000 words, isn't it? Thank you again.**

**

* * *

Last time**

The next morning, Rory walked in the kitchen, finding Jess standing in front of the stove, cooking. Wrapping her arms around him, she kissed the back of his neck, smiling happily.

"This is how every morning should be." She smiled as she slid her hands under his shirt, slowly running her fingers across his abdomen. "Only, you know, in my head you're never wearing a t-shirt."

"Dirty thoughts this early in the morning, Miss Gilmore? What would Emily Post think?"

"That I'm a hussy that likes to think of her boyfriend half-naked, obviously." She snickered, kissing his neck again.

"Did I wake you up? I tried not to."

"I'm not used to someone walking through the room I'm sleeping in. Don't worry about it." Rory hugged him closer, trying to look over his shoulder. "What are you making?"

"Pancakes. Was supposed to be breakfast in bed, but since you decided to wake up…"

"Next time. And this way, you still owe me breakfast in bed." She smiled again.

"I owe you?" Jess smirked, turning around in her arms and crushing his mouth to hers, making her smile grow bigger. "Huh, you don't say." He mumbled against her mouth when he pulled back and she nodded.

"Yep. You owe me, mister. And don't even try to get out of it because I have ways of making you pay."

"Do they involve your withering stare? Because I'm not sure if I can take that." He placed another quick kiss on her lips, before turning back to face the stove.

"Maybe. I'm not sure." She hesitated, laughing.

"Oh, I'm terrified now."

"Shut up and cook, will you?" Rory kissed his neck again, running her fingers through his hair. "Your hair's getting longer."

"My stylist is out of town this week."

"Code-speak for you've been too lazy to go get a haircut?"

"What, you don't believe I have a stylist?" He chuckled and she hugged him tighter.

"No."

"Fair enough."

Kissing his shoulder one more time, she let go of him and headed for the coffee machine, filling a mug and looking at him.

"Any plans for today?"

"Well, now that you mention it…" Jess turned around to look at her, drinking from his mug as well. "I was thinking we can go to Stars Hollow for the day. If you want to. Give you a chance to see your mom."

"Jess…" She whispered his name, then put her mug on the counter, walking to him and hugging him again. "I love you."

"Ror, I'm offering to take you to Stars Hollow, not Paris. It's not that big of a deal."

"It is to me." She smiled, kissing his cheek. "And, as much I appreciate the offer, no. I came here to spend time with you, not watch you drive."

"You can drive." Jess chuckled, turning off the stove and dropping the last pancake on the plate next to the other ones.

"And spend 6 or 7 hours in a car? Nope." She shook her head, picking up the plate and dropping it on the table while he brought their mugs over. "This weekend is for you."

"Huh…I like the sound of that." He smirked, picking up two plates from the cupboard and placing them on the table while Rory brought forks and knives. Sitting down, he looked at her and she walked to him, cupping his face in her hands then leaned down, kissing him quickly.

"I like you. Love you." She nodded, kissing him again as he put his hands on her hips, smirking.

"You're ruining my attempts at making you blush by being the sappy one."

"Well, it's your fault. You had to go ahead and mention going to Stars Hollow, knowing that it would mean we'd give up time spent alone together because I haven't seen mom in months."

"Maybe I just miss Kirk, did you ever think of that?" He chuckled, kissing her palm and she smiled at him, leaning in and kissing him again.

"I'm sure he misses you too."

"Be sure to tell Lorelai I offered and you said no, ok? I can always use more points with her."

"Why are you worried about getting points with mom? You have enough already."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure I can do something to lose them and I plan on sticking around for a while. Her not going back to hating me will just make it easier." Finishing his sentence, he pulled her down to sit in his lap and she let out a happy, surprised yelp before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Give me some warning next time, will you?" Rory tried to sound angry, but ended up smiling as she leaned in and kissed him, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist to keep her from sliding off.

"Nope."

"And this while you plan on sticking around for? How long is it?"

Lifting one hand, still holding her with the other, Jess pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "As long as you'll keep me around."

"Forever?"

He cupped her face in his hand, pulling her in for a kiss. "Forever." He whispered against her mouth, nodding and making her smile again.

* * *

Sunday morning, after a day spent traipsing through bookshops and coffee places, they were lying in bed, waiting for time to pass before she had to leave for the airport.

"You know this is probably the last time we'll have to do this?"

"Have sex?" He chuckled, making her blush and slap his hand away from her. "I'm not sure I agree with that. I kind of enjoy this."

"Leave, you jerk. Say goodbye for months at a time."

"I know." He nodded, pulling her body closer to his and wrapping his arm tightly around her. "Awful, isn't it?"

"Absolutely terrible. I may apply for a job following someone else next, that's how much fun this is."

"Or maybe just to stay away from me?" He cocked an eyebrow, smirking as he kissed her collarbone.

"Yeah, that too. Added benefit. You know, on top of being on a bus all the damned time."

"How are you going to live without the bus?"

"I don't know." Rory laughed softly, her arm wrapped around him, her fingers tracing circles in his skin. "I may have to go somewhere once a week, just until I get over it. Bus rehab."

"So baby steps, not cold turkey?"

"Don't think I could manage it. It's just going to be so bad. And seeing you all the time…just terrible."

"Ror, don't make me say it again. Look for jobs outside of Philadelphia as well. Don't…give anything up to be here."

"Hey, my turn to say that I get to make that choice. I didn't quit to be with you, no matter how much I wanted to. Now, while I wouldn't refuse an offer from the New York Times, because that's what I've been working for all this time, I doubt that's going to happen, so I get to look for jobs wherever I want. And that is here. I'm not giving anything up, not sacrificing anything. Just…I'm doing what I want to do. And I really want to stop talking about this. My mind is already made."

"Ok." Jess nodded, accepting her choice. "How many pro/con lists did this decision take?" He smirked, kissing her collarbone again.

"One or two. But this constant overwhelming thing in the plus column kind of makes it clear."

"Philly cheese steak?"

"How did you know?" Rory laughed, placing quick kisses on his lips. "The only good thing about this awful city. Don't know why anyone would want to live here. Ok, I could maybe think of a few others as well…"

"Good bookshops?" He offered and she nodded.

"Great coffee."

"Not a bad music scene."

"The daily opportunity of going for a Rocky impersonation." She pushed him until he was lying on his back and crawled up, taking the sheets with her then looked at him, smiling. "And this amazing guy that makes me happy."

"Leave me his name and address so I can kill him."

"Nope. I can't imagine not having him around. Just…can't." She shook her head, trying to get the sudden thought of them not being together again and he pulled her closer. Resting her head on his chest, she hugged him close to her and he placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"I'm not going anywhere. Promise."

"Thank you." Rory whispered, still holding him close to her.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"For making me so happy that now I can't even try to imagine not having you in my life without getting scared. You're just…I love you. I think that's it."

"You keep saying that." He smirked, kissing her head again.

"Just making sure you know."

"I know." He nodded, hugging her closer to him. "I love you too."

"I know." She nodded as well, not moving from her place. "And, in a month and a half, this will be over. Finally. I can't wait." She smiled, placing a small kiss on his chest.

"Yeah, it would be nice to get some more than once in a blue moon." He chuckled and she got up, shaking her head and laughing.

"Ruin the moment more, will you?"

"I'll try."

"Impossible man." She smiled, kissing him as he wrapped his arms around her again.

"My Native American name, I think."

"No, that's Monosyllabic One with Crazy Hair." Rory laughed, placing quick kisses on his lips while her fingers played in his hair.

"I talk…to you."

"And everyone else?"

"Everyone else is boring." He put his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in for a kiss.

"It's nice to know I'm special."

"How nice is it to know that you'll miss your plane if we don't leave soon?" Jess looked at the clock on the nightstand and she smiled sadly, kissing him again.

"Not that nice."

"Focus on the month and a half left." Jess reminded her and she nodded before getting out of bed, looking around her for her clothes. Letting out a wolf whistle, he watched her and she blushed, picking up a book from the desk next to her and throwing it in his direction, careful to miss actually hitting him before picking up a t-shirt and sliding it on.

"Damn." He sighed, trying to sound annoyed.

"You can go to a strip bar if you want to see that."

"I can?" He cocked an eye brow and she looked back at him, buttoning her jeans.

"Maybe. As long as I know about it."

"Huh. But I want to see you, not some random woman."

"You better prefer seeing me to someone else." She smiled, walking to the bed and putting his clothes next to him. "Now get dressed before we're late."

"You're being bossy." Jess grabbed her wrist, holding her down and kissed her neck. "I like it."

"Just…get dressed." She sighed, kissing him again and he nodded. As soon as he was dressed, he walked to her as she was finishing zipping her bag and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing her shoulder.

"Something wrong?"

"It's…" Rory sighed again, biting her lip. "I know there's not that much left and time will fly by, especially considering how much work I'll have in the next weeks with the elections almost here, but I still hate having to leave."

"I hate you leaving as well."Jess mumbled and she turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"Promise you won't change your mind about us moving in together by the time this is over." She whispered, not looking at him and he kissed her temple, hugging her even closer to him.

"Really, you think I'm going to change my mind?"

"I…think I'm going to miss you and wish I didn't have to leave so I should get 5 seconds of crazy thoughts." Rory finally smiled, pulling away from him and taking his hand in hers.

"The day you manage to keep the crazy thoughts to only 5 seconds…" He smirked and she slapped his chest with her free hand, then kissed him.

"Mean." Rory stuck out her tongue quickly, making him chuckle and pull her closer to him, putting his hand on the back of her neck and kissing her.

"Go on, let's go." He let go of her neck and picked up her bag while she wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him close.

As soon as they reached the airport, they got out of the car, looking at each other, trying to find a way to say goodbye. Walking to her, Jess took her hands in his and smiled, trying to get her to smile as well.

"I'll miss you." She sighed, looking down at her feet.

"Take care of yourself, ok? I know you're busy with work and all that, but try not to live exclusively on coffee and maybe give sleep a try."

Smiling, she looked up at him again, kissing the corner of his mouth. "The irony of you saying that is just too…"

"Ironic?" Jess chuckled, kissing her and giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Oh, good one, mister writer. Hemingway is actually rotting your brain."

"Come here." He smirked, hugging her closer to him, crushing his mouth to hers as his hand let go of hers and cupped her face. When he pulled back, she smiled, looking at the building behind them.

"I should probably…"

"Yeah, I know. And since I'm not really the 'wave a handkerchief from the other side of the security gates' type of guy…"

Kissing his palm, Rory smiled. "I'll call when I get there."

"Ok." He nodded, then kissed her again.

"I'll see you in a month and a half." She hugged him, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, you will. Now go before you miss the plane."

Nodding, Rory kissed him one more time before she grabbed her back and walked towards the building, waving before she walked through the front doors. Getting back in the car, Jess drove back to his apartment, heading for his room, avoiding his coworkers. Smirking, he looked around the room, trying to find her note, used to their little game. Opening the top drawer, he found it and sat on the bed, unfolding the piece of paper and starting to read.

_Dear Jess,_

_Every time I try to write of these notes for you, is like my mind goes blank and I don't know what to say. How to say it. What words to use so that I am not too overly romantic or sappy, but still make my point. I am bad at this, I know. Your notes make so much more sense than mine, are simpler yet say so much more. But this is the only way I know how to say these things, so you'll have to either read through my rambling or just throw it out. _

_I memorized that quote because I knew you'd like it. Because, and I don't know if this will sound silly to you, but I just…need to make you happy. "__When you love you wish to do things for."__ Quoting Hemingway twice in less than 48 hours. I must be mad. I wish to make you happy. Have to make you happy. If only to return the favor, because, when you're next to me, I am happy. I've told you this before(oh, wow, how many months ago was that first time I did?), you don't even have to try-having you in my life is enough for me to be so blissfully happy that the rest of the world could go to hell and I wouldn't care. Everything I want is connected in some way to you-want to spend more time with you, want to be by your side always, want to hold your hand all the time. But I need to make you happy. _

_I like the thought of us and our strange life. Coming back to you every night, sharing a bed with you, having coffee with you, waiting for you to come back to bed when you're up late writing. "Even the useless arguments were things ever splendid", right? Yes, I am stealing your quote but it fits in with what I have to say so I hope you'll let it slide. I want to share this strange life with you, in any way I can. In any way that will make you happy. _

_I know you dislike poetry unless it's Ginsberg or Bukowski(and yes, I still argue that you only like his poems because they are as un-poem lie as possible), but I hope you'll forgive me for bringing Neruda in this, because…he says it so well._

"_I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.__  
__I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;__  
__so I love you because I know no other way_

_than this: where I does not exist, nor you,__  
__so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,__  
__so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep."_

_I'll see you again soon. _

_Rory_

As soon as the plane took off, Rory picked up her book, anxiously flicking through its pages, knowing that that was the only place he could have hid his note. Finding it, she hid it between the pages so the woman in the seat next to hers couldn't see it and started reading.

_I have no clever quote this time. I only have more blunt honesty and I don't know how much you appreciate it when it is in writing, but you know as well as I that some things really are better left for notes. _

_Thank you for coming, for being here. I should thank you for a lot of things but really, I am useless at this. I'm trying, but still useless. Know I am grateful for a million things, more than you'll ever know. I wasn't lying on Friday night-or Saturday morning, whatever you prefer- when I said you made me feel. I had been failing at feeling anything for a very long time when I met you, anything good at least and, although "God knows I didn't mean to fall in love with her", with you(yes, I am quoting him again) I did. And then I messed up, we messed up and I went back to not feeling anything again. Until we started this again and, while I have no intention of turning this into a "how do I love thee, let me count the ways…" because I am not out of my mind completely, I do love you. _

_I have so many things to say, but I never know how, of fear of not being ridiculous. And I keep trying to find the right way to say them, curse of a writer I suppose, so I end up staring at the piece of paper stupidly. You make things make sense to me. Make me happy. Make me want to do more. You were the first one that ever made me want to do something other than stay alive. So often I am left in awe at the things you do, how incredible you are to me. So often I want to tell you how happy I am because you are next to me and that is all I need but the words get stuck so I don't say anything and hope you know. _

_And, if you'll forgive one last "A Farewell to Arms" quote, "__But I haven't any religion… You're my religion. You're all I've got."_

_Jess_


	38. Something stupid

**A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for the reviews.**

**Lexi, I have no idea. The story is getting kind of close to ending so let's say around 5 to 10 chapters left, but we all know I'm not great at approximating these things, considering the fact that this whole story was planned to be 4 chapters long, not 40. There's still a while left though :). **

**

* * *

**

**Something stupid**

A week and a half later, Rory was in her hotel room, reading. Hearing a knock on the door, she threw her robe on and cracked the door open, not knowing who it could be. Seeing Jess standing on the other side, looking at her, she pushed the door open and jumped to hug him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered, not moving away and he hugged her back, kissing her cheek.

"I believe you mentioned something about having to spend birthdays with the people you love." He smiled, rubbing her back with his hand. "Just here to make sure that happens."

"Thank you. So, so much." She whispered again, hugging him closer to her. After a few seconds of silence, Jess pulled back to look at her and saw a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks. Letting go of her, he cupped her face instead, wiping her cheeks with his thumbs.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's stupid."

"Which one is it? It can't be stupid if it's nothing."

"Just…forget it." She hugged him again, smiling.

"Ror?" He asked again and she finally let go of him, placing a quick kiss on his lips and shook her head.

"It's nothing." Rory took his hand and walked inside the room, closing the door behind them. Sitting down in the armchair, he pulled her down with him, making her sit in his lap and wrapping his arms around her.

"You weren't crying for nothing. Are you that annoyed that I'm here?"

"No! God, no!" Rory shook her head placing quick kisses on his lips. "I am so happy you're here. It's just…promise you won't laugh?"

"Promise." Jess nodded, kissing her.

"Birthdays are this really big thing for me and I was sad because I thought I was going to spend it away from you and yes, I like the people I work with and we're kind of friends, but I really wanted to have someone I care for here and now you're here. They were happy tears, I promise." She bit her lip, trying not to start crying again. "I told you it's stupid."

Pulling her closer to him, Jess smiled, kissing her as she wrapped her arms around his neck again. "It's not stupid."

"Isn't it?"

"Maybe a bit." His smile turned into his normal smirk, making Rory laugh and kiss him again.

"I love you." She whispered between kisses, grinning happily and he let go of her waist, cupping her face with one hand.

"Love you too."

* * *

A while later, Rory pulled up the duvet to try and protect him to from the cold, then smiled happily, kissing his shoulder.

"You realize it's been a year since my birthday party?"

"Yeah, I think it has something to do with the birthdays happening every year on the same date and all that."

"You know what I mean."

"I do?" Jess chuckled, pulling her closer to him on the bed, making her laugh.

"You better do."

"So I believe that's your subtle way of claiming October 7 as our anniversary?"

"Who said I was being subtle?" Rory laughed, propping herself up with one arm to look at him. "And…isn't it? I mean, that's when it all started."

"Ror, I couldn't care less what date you want to pick." He lifted his head and kissed her quickly, his hand cupping her face. "Whatever makes you happy."

"You." She smiled, placing a small kiss on his palm.

"What?"

"That's what makes me happy. You." She smiled again, leaning down and kissing him.

"If you ever accuse me of being a sap again after saying that…" He rolled his eyes, making her laugh.

"You are a sap. Who came all the way here just for this." She remembered, smiling happily again and kissed him.

"Yeah, I kind of assumed you'd be mad if I got this…" He cocked an eyebrow, running his hand over skin. "…Somewhere else."

"Funny."

"I try."

"So, a whole year…bored of me yet?" Rory smiled, placing quick kisses on his lips and cheek, making him smirk.

"Yeah. I'm actually just here to break up with you. Thought it would be better to do it in person." Jess wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her down to him, making her laugh.

"Good. This way I don't have to break up with you. I'm quite bored of you as well."

Flipping them around, Jess started trailing kisses on her collarbone as she tangled her hand in his hair.

"How bored?"

"Very." She smiled as he moved up to her neck, his hand resting on her waist.

"I suppose this is it then. It was nice for a while, though."

"It's not you, it's me." Rory giggled, her hand playing in his hair.

"We're better off as friends." He smirked, still kissing her neck.

"I'm not ready for a relationship."

"My psychic told me it would be better for me if I was single."

"I just need more space." She laughed and he looked up, kissing her.

"More space than this? Want me to move to a different continent?"

"Yes. As far away from me as possible." She kissed him again, lowering her hand to cup his face. "I love you."

"Didn't we just break up?"

"Changed my mind. You're stuck with me. Sorry about that."

"So you make me believe I might be free again just to do that to me? That's unfair." He tried to pout, smirking at the same time.

"Life's not fair." Rory laughed softly, placing another kiss on his lips. "You're mine." This time she flipped them around, kissing him while he cupped her face in his hand, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear with his fingers.

"I love you." He whispered against her mouth when she pulled back, getting another smile out of her. Crashing back down on the bed, Rory looked at the ceiling, while he watched her.

"I'm hungry." She announced after a few seconds, making him chuckle.

"I know." Jess propped himself up with one arm, placing his other hand on her abdomen, running his fingers across her skin slowly.

"How do you know? I just realized that 5 seconds ago."

"You're always hungry after sex." He leaned over and whispered in her ear, making her blush.

"Well, since you seem to be so sure of that, did you think to do anything about it?" She stuck out her tongue, making him laugh.

"Check my bag."

Getting out of bed, Rory took the sheet with her, wrapping it around her body and walked to the door, picking up his bag from where he had dropped it. Putting it on the bed, she looked at him.

"Your bag. Feed me, please." She grinned, keeping the sheet up with one hand.

"Why don't you just look through it yourself? You really need my help?"

"It's your bag. I don't want to mess up your things."

"Seriously?" He looked at her incredulously and she smiled.

"You really won't mind?"

"Yes, wouldn't want you stealing anything that's in there." Jess rolled his eyes, making her laugh. Opening his bag, she saw a couple of sandwiches on top and took them out, placing them on the nightstand. Before she could close the bag again, she spotted a neatly wrapped package with a bow on top and grinned, her hunger forgotten.

"Is that my present?"

"Shit, I forgot about that. Yes, that's your present." He nodded and she looked at him.

"Can I see it?"

"It's not your birthday yet."

"Jess, come on!" She sat on the bed, pointing to the clock on the nightstand. "There are like 5 minutes left." Leaning in, she kissed him. "Please?"

"It's nothing exciting."

"I don't care! Can I get it now? Please?" She drew out the word, making him chuckle. Pulling her in for another kiss, he nodded when he pulled back.

"Fine."

"Thank you!" Rory grinned excitedly, placing another quick peck on his lips before taking the package out and putting the bag back on the floor, sitting on the bed, still covering herself with the sheet. Realizing it was a book, she started unwrapping it quickly, hoping it would be his book. She threw away the paper and looked at him when she saw the name of the book, _Letters of Anais Nin and Henry Miller_, her smile faded.

"Thank you. It's very nice." Rory mumbled, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Heartfelt." Jess smirked, putting his hand on her knee and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"No, I like it. I've wanted to read this for a long time."

"But it's not what you hoped it would be?"

"I just...forget about it." Rory leaned in, kissing him. "I love it."

"The other one's not done yet." Jess looked at her, serious.

"What, you're trying to match _War and Peace_? Because I don't have the patience to wait for that." Rory chuckled, moving next to him, leaning against the headboard.

"I need some more time. But you might get a rough draft for Christmas if you're good."

"Really?" She looked at him and he nodded. Crushing her mouth to his, she grinned through the kiss as he put his hand on the back of her neck, keeping her close to him. "Promise that you won't change your mind?" Rory whispered when she pulled back and he nodded again.

"Promise."

"Thank you." She attacked his mouth again, still smiling. When she pulled back, Jess chuckled, looking at her.

"I get the most uninterested reaction in the world for your present, even though I spent weeks tracking it down, but the second I tell you about something that's going to happen three months from now…" He sighed, trying to sound annoyed. Rory kissed him again, running her hand through his hair while still holding the book in her other hand.

"I do love it and appreciate it. I was disappointed, that's all."

"Feeling better now?"

"As long as you'll keep your promise."

"I tend to do."

"Then yes." She nodded, kissing him again. "Oh, yeah, food!" She remembered, making shim chuckle. She turned around to pick up the sandwiches but he stopped her, catching her wrist in his hand.

"What?" She looked at him and he smiled, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her to him.

"Happy birthday."

Smiling as well, Rory kissed him again. "Thank you."

* * *

Much later that night, Rory was woken up by her phone ringing. Getting out of bed sleepily, she picked it up and moved to the armchair, trying be as quiet as possible.

"Yeah?" She whispered.

"_Happy birthday, little girl." _

"Hey, mom."

"_So do you feel older yet?"_

"I feel sleepy. Maybe the older comes later." She smiled.

"_Why are you whispering?" _Lorelai asked confused.

"Trying not to wake Jess up."

"_Jess is there?"_

"Yeah." Rory smiled happily, biting her lip and looking at the bed.

"_Did he know that I forgot to get you a striper and decided to fill in that position?"_ Lorelai laughed.

"Well, such an obvious oversight…You should be thankful he's here to fix it."

"_I am."_ Lorelai nodded, smiling as well. _"Any complaints on your birthday? Because you know, name it and I'll take care of it."_

"No complaints. Everything is…just like it should be. Incredible."

"_Aw, babe…"_ She smiled again. _"I had dibbs on being the mushy one tonight."_

"Can we both be mushy?"

"_I suppose so."_ Lorelai sighed, trying to sound annoyed. _"But you know, letting me have that is the least I deserve. After all, only 24 short years ago..."_

"Oh, no. Here it comes." Rory laughed, pulling her t-shirt down to protect herself from the cold.

"_No, no, we're not at that part yet."_ Lorelai laughed. "_First I need to tell you about doing the splits on a crate of dynamite. It, or you if you want to be accurate, come later."_

"I love you, mom." Rory smiled, wrapping her arm around herself.

"_Love you too, little girl. And you're going to have an incredible party when you come home."_

"No clowns, ok?"

"_No promises."_ She grinned. _"So, as I was saying before you interrupted, 24 years ago…"_

As soon as she got off the phone with her mother, Rory moved back to bed, looking at Jess who was still sleeping. Pushing a strand of hair behind his ear, she lied down, kissing his shoulder.

"Absolutely no complaints." She whispered before closing her eyes again and going back to sleep.

* * *

The next evening, they were in the hotel parking lot, waiting for Jess' cab to come. Resting her head on his shoulder, she smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Less than a month left before this is over."

"Sorry I can't stay any longer but the magazine and work and all that…"

"It's ok." She smiled, looking at him. "It was good to see you, even if it was for just a day. And hey, it will be over soon."

"I know." Jess rubbed her arm, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"Thank you for being here." She kissed him again.

"I wanted to be here. You'll take care of yourself, right?"

"Promise." She nodded, kissing him. "I can't wait for this month to be over." She remembered, hugging him. "The elections can't be here fast enough. And then we'll never have to do this again."

"Haven't we had this conversation already?" Jess smirked, pulling her in for another kiss.

"Yeah, well, that was before you decided to come here for this."

"No, that was before I came here for this. I bought tickets before you came to Philly. So it's your fault we're repetitive." He chuckled and she laughed as well, kissing him.

"How long before I came to Philly?"

"About a day after you announced you were going to be in Chicago for your birthday." He admitted, looking away from her and Rory smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Sap."

"Like seeing you happy. That's all. And really, egoist works better because I assumed that my presence would make you happy. Which makes me arrogant."

"No, it makes you right." She hugged him again, kissing her cheek. "And I am happy."

"Good."

"Are you? Because I don't know and I want to make sure and really, if there's anything more I can do, just tell me and…" Crushing his mouth to hers, he smiled, his hand cupping her face.

"Crazy."

"What?" She looked at him, biting her lip.

"If you ever worry about that again…"

"I just want to make sure."

"Yeah, I got that from your last note." Jess nodded, placing another kiss on her lips. "I am happy, ok? Not used to admitting it, but I am."

"Tell me if that ever stops and I'll try to fix it."

"Don't see that stopping while you're around." He smiled, then looked at her. "Yes, I know, I'm a sap." He chuckled and she shook her head, trying to hold back tears again.

"You're…amazing. More than that." She sighed happily, kissing him again. "The only thing I am going to miss when this is over are your notes."

"I believe the possibility of you still getting a note from time to time could be negotiated."

"Really?"

"Depends on what I get." He smirked, kissing the spot below her ear.

"Anything you want."

"Anything, anything?" He smirked again, looking at her.

"Yeah." Rory nodded, crushing her mouth to his. "I love those notes."

"Ok. There will be more notes, even after this is over."

"Thank you." She whispered in his ear then kissed his cheek. Seeing a cab pull in the parking lot, Jess got up, taking her hand and walked to the car. Motioning to the driver to give him a minute, he cupped her face in his hands, looking at her.

"I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok." Rory nodded, kissing him. "Take care of yourself as well. Don't make me make Matt check up on you."

"He probably would."

"Well, he cares about you. Not as much as I do though. And he won't kick your ass like I will if you don't sleep or eat at normal times."

"Someone's feeling very bossy today."

"I want to make sure you're ok without me there." Rory grinned, placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"Yes, I eat so much better when you cook for me." Jess smirked, chuckling.

"I don't mean cooking but at least…just take care of yourself, you stubborn man." She kissed his palm quickly, making him smile.

"I will. I should…" he pointed to the cab, kissing her quickly.

"Yeah, I know." She nodded, kissing him again.

"I'll miss you." He hugged her when she pulled back, kissing her temple.

"One month."

Letting go of her, Jess kissed her one more time before getting in the car. After it drove away, Rory walked back to her room, crashing on the bed, hugging a pillow.

Waiting for the cab to make its way to the airport through traffic, Jess pulled out his book, finding her note.

_Dear Jess, _

_I don't know what to tell you this time. The closer we get to this being over, the more I can't wait. I don't know if I'm being stupid and arrogant thinking there is no way things can go wrong, but I can't see a way for us to mess this up. Not this way we're going now. We can't ruin it. _

_And I so want this distance thing to be over. Want you. Forever. I want to be by your side for the rest of my life more than I've ever wanted anything else. I don't know if you remember the speech you gave at mom and Luke's wedding(and forgive me if this is overly sentimental) but you said that you believed they had found what others spend the rest of their lives looking for, that they have found the one. And…I believe I have as well. Trying to imagine not having you here scares me so much and you know that. It all fits, we fit and I love you so much. _

_Our life together will be nothing ordinary. We'll probably never have the picket fence and golden retriever and I don't care and I don't know if I've ever even wanted that. Our life will be filled with books and coffee and preferably a bed because we seem to always have the most complicated conversations, from getting married to "breaking up" last night(I could kill to see your expression as you're reading this) and I don't care about anything else. Roof and its pillars optional. You are what I've always wanted and I am the luckiest person alive to have found that. I just hope I can make you as happy as you make me. I know I will keep trying for as long as you'll let me._

_Thank you for being here today. And, despite my original lack of enthusiasm, I love my book(if only I could be as articulate in my letters as they were). I will see you soon. _

_Love, _

_Rory._

Back in her hotel room, Rory got out of bed, wiping her cheeks quickly and looked around her, trying to figure out where his note was. Picking up the last pillow from the bed, she found it and unfolded it quickly, hugging the pillow again as she started reading.

_I'm sorry. I'm an idiot. I am trying, but I'm still an idiot. I was reading your last note, wondering if you really don't know that I am happy with you. Wondering if I just don't tell you often enough all that you mean to me. So, if I don't, I apologize. Know that I am happy and you are everything._

_I'm also selfish. I don't know if it's normal that I want you like I do(and no, I don't mean that way-although…yeah, you know). It's never enough, is it? I need to be constantly touching you, looking at you, kissing you. I feel like some goddamned teenager because every single touch is different and special and I just want to lock them all somewhere safe. There have been other women and none of them have made me feel this way. Made me feel. But you look at me and I am so fucking gone and need you and nothing else even exists. You are incredible and I am insane and I just want to lock myself in a room with you, so that no one else comes near you. I told you I'm a madman but…it's all because I love you. "__I could scarcely talk to you because I was continually on the point of getting up and throwing my arms around you."(completely ripping off Henry Miller again-I've underlined this in the book as well, but I thought it deserved being repeated). _

_I am not even going to try and imagine what you're going to think when you read this(although, of course, writing it means that I'm thinking about it but skip over that, ok?). But writing is the only time when I can be really, bluntly honest and tell you all these things. Tell you that I can't imagine my life without you in it now. And that, as long as you'll let me I will try to do everything I can to make sure you are happy and have anything you want, no matter what it is. _

_I just want you. _

"_Three minutes after you have gone. No, I can't restrain it. I tell you what you already know - I love you."_

_Jess. _


	39. Over and proud!

**A/N: A lot of things happening for such a short chapter. I hope you enjoy it and remember to leave a review on your way out. And thank you, thank you, thank you to those that review. **

* * *

**Over and proud!**

A month later, on a cold Friday afternoon, Rory walked out of the airport, finding Jess standing in front of the door. Forgetting her luggage cart for a second, she hugged him, placing quick, happy kisses on his lips.

"He won and this stupid job is finally done." She managed to whisper and he nodded, cupping her face in his hand and kissing her deeply, his other arm wrapped around her waist. "I missed you." She whispered again when he pulled back, trying to catch her breath.

"Huh. You don't say." Jess smirked, kissing her again.

"This is when you're supposed to say 'I missed you too', smartass."

"How about I love you? Does that work?" He smiled softly, resting his forehead against hers and she nodded, kissing him again.

"Works just fine." Rory placed one more kiss on his lips before letting go of him. Taking her cart from her, Jess smiled again when she wrapped her arm around his waist, kissing his shoulder. "I never have to leave you again."

"Until Wednesday morning." He reminded her, looking at her as they started walking towards the parking lot.

"But then I'm leaving to go to Stars Hollow and anyway, you're coming on Friday night, so it's not as bad as being away for months at a time."

"It still means two and half days without getting any."

"Is your mind always in the gutter?"

"Most of the time." He leaned over, kissing her cheek quickly. "You like it."

"I'm going to chose not to answer that comment." Rory smiled, moving even closer to him.

"Lack of a denial is almost as good as an admission, you know that, right?"

"Shut up and carry my bags." She laughed softly, kissing his shoulder again before letting go of him so that they could walk. As soon as they reached his car, he opened the trunk and starting moving her bags in it while she looked at him after he shot her a look when she tried to help. When he was done, she pushed the cart to its place and walked back to him as he was closing the trunk. Hugging him again, she smiled, holding him close to her.

"Do you have any idea how happy I am right now?" She mumbled, not moving and he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her temple.

"A pretty good one, I think."

"Nope. You…I am so happy right now."

"And extremely coherent as well."

"Shut up and let me mushy and happy, will you?" Rory laughed, pulling away for a bit so she could kiss him.

"We've switched from sappy to mushy?"

"Not permanently. But sappy and happy sounds odd." She laughed again, not letting go of him.

"Crazy."

"You? Yeah, I know." She kissed him, grinning. "Can we go now?"

"Hey, you're the one who's keeping me here." He let go of her, lifting his arms in the air to prove his point.

"Oh, and you're complaining?"

"No." Jess shook his head, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her. "No, I'm not."

She finally let go of him after placing one more kiss on his lips and they both walked in the car. Pointing to a paper cup, he smirked as he started the engine and drove off. "Coffee."

"For me?"

"No, I just like pointing to random things. Dashboard. Steering wheel." He chuckled, pointing at the two things.

"Thank you." She smiled at him, picking up the cup.

"How do you feel now that the elections are over?"

"And I get to spend my time with you? Oh, I don't know. Happy, excited, over the moon and about ten other words that mean the exact same thing have crossed my mind. Can't wait to have time to get bored of you." Rory grinned, running her fingers through his hair.

"That would only work if I was boring."

"Smug, are we?"

"Never." Jess smirked, glancing quickly at her.

"Not in a million years."

* * *

Some time later, they were in his room, lying on the bed, looking at each other, their legs tangled together under the sheets. Squeezing his hand, she bit her lip, smiling.

"It's finally over."

"What, you really hate sleeping with me that much?" Jess smirked, leaning over and kissing her neck.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was talking about." She swatted his chest, kissing him.

"You're still determined to move to Philadelphia?"

"Yes, I am. The Inquirer is hiring. I've sent them my resume and I'm waiting to hear from them. If that's not fate saying this is what I'm supposed to do…"

"So if they don't hire you, fate hates us?"

"No, then we ignore it. We only believe in fate when it works in our favor." Rory smiled, kissing him.

"So if you get the job…we're moving in together?"

"Even if I don't get that job, we're still moving in together. There are a ton of papers around, one of them has to be hiring. And if I can't find a job with any paper, I can just do something else for a while. If you still want to move in, of course."

"Let's see…live with you? Yeah, it would be awful." He chuckled, lying on his back, taking her with him and wrapping his arms around her.

"Jess, I'm serious. If you think it's too soon or don't want to, we can wait for a while and then talk about it again."

He kissed the top of her head, smiling. "I want to. And too soon after a year and talks of marriage? Really?"

"I want to make sure you have a chance to change your mind. Don't want to push you."

"You're not pushing. I was only trying to make sure because me and the guys have been talking about expanding Truncheon and, when we do, I really need to figure out new living arrangements."

Rory moved on the other pillow, looking at him. "Expanding?"

"We're considering turning the downstairs into a half bookshop, half coffee shop thing and moving the office upstairs. We'd get some more room to work, hopefully make some money out of selling the older books that we only pull out at open houses right now, have the local artists show their work year-round. We're pushing to have a book reach 10.000 copies in the next few months and that means more work and right now, we're getting ready to kill each other down there so this is going to happen sooner, rather than later." Jess ranted quickly, then looked at her, a couple of tears shining in her eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked and she shook her head then suddenly shot from her place, kissing him.

"I didn't think you could be any more perfect. But now you're going to kind of work in a coffee shop." She joked, trying to hold back tears.

"Yeah, I figured you were going to like that one."

"Do you have any idea how proud I am of you?" She whispered, looking into his eyes.

"I suppose telling you the book that we want to get up to 10.000 copies is my book would send you into a full blown crying session?"

"You're serious?"

"Matt and Chris haven't read or approved it yet, but they're kind of pushing me on this so I don't think they'll present much of a challenge." He smiled and she bit her lip, looking at him. "Rory?"

"I just…I love you. And I am so proud of you and so happy for you and God, I wish I could be more coherent than this to tell you just how amazing I think this is and how amazing you are."

"It's not that big of a deal."

"You know it is." She smiled, caressing his face with her fingers. "It's a huge deal. And if I can help in any way…"

"Nothing you can do. But thanks."

Crushing her mouth to his, she smiled happily, her hand playing in his hair. "This is incredible." Kissing him one more time, she moved down and rested her head on his shoulder, still smiling and wrapping her arm around his waist. Kissing the top of her head, Jess ran his fingers over her waist, trying to find the right words.

"You know I wouldn't be doing any of these things if this girl hadn't told me years ago that I could do more than whatever, wherever." He stated simply, whispering and she kissed his chest, her smile growing bigger.

"She didn't do anything." She whispered back, not looking at him.

"She did more than I'll ever be able to thank her for."

"You don't have anything to thank her for. You did the same thing for her." Rory lifted her head, looking into his eyes and smiling, placing a soft kiss on his lips. "And really, the fact that she is the happiest woman on the planet means that she should be the one thanking you. So can we call it even?"

"Us two? Of course. However, I might have to find her some day and thank her." Jess smirked, placing his hand on the back of her neck and pulling her in for a kiss. "I love you." He whispered against her mouth when she pulled back and Rory kissed him again.

"I love you too. Even if you always find a way to ruin the moment."

Chuckling, Jess kissed her one more time before she lied back down on the other pillow, looking at him.

"So we're really moving in together?"

"We'll call it official as soon as we can find an apartment." He nodded.

"Oh, can I start looking Monday when you're working?"

"You can start looking tonight if you want." He took her hand in his, squeezing it softly, knowing that she wanted to start as soon as possible.

"A couple of websites while we wait for dinner, that's all." She grinned, lifting their hands and placing a small kiss on his. "And when I start making lists, you're not allowed to mock me."

"Where's this mysterious dinner that we're waiting for coming from?"

"I assume there are take-away places in this city of yours. If not, I'm sorry, but we have to move."

"One or two." Jess smirked, moving his hand to her waist and pulling her closer to him.

"In that case, I'm going to go get us the menu for one of them, order food and then we can start."

"We? You mean I get a say in this?" He chuckled, kissing her.

"Maybe. If you're good." She grinned. "What do you want our apartment to have?"

"You in it."

"Sap." She teased him, tracing his lips with her finger.

"You didn't let me finish. You're supposed to be naked. All the time."

"Sure." She snorted, laughing. "That's going to happen."

"Hey, I'm just saying that if all your clothes mysteriously disappear one day…"

"I'll wear yours." She finished his sentence then kissed him, smiling happily. "Or make a toga out of a sheet."

"No fun." He tried to sound annoyed and Rory kissed him, running her fingers through his hair.

"We'll negotiate something."

"I like the sound of that." He cocked an eyebrow, making her laugh again. Kissing him one more time, she looked at him.

"Where are the take-away menus?"

"There are a few on the desk. Pick one."

"Why do you have menus on your desk, in your bedroom?" She got up and leafed through them, while he watched her. "Jess?" She looked back at him when he didn't answer and he smirked, looking at her.

"Sorry. I was distracted."

"By?"

He pointed at her and she realized she wasn't dressed. Blushing, she glared at him, picking up the menus and then lying back in bed, covering herself with the sheets.

"Perv."

"Nope. You don't get to be mad at me for that one." He kissed her neck, pulling her closer to him. "You're beautiful." He whispered, looking into her eyes and she blushed again, kissing him.

"Pick a menu."

"Food can wait." He took the sheets of paper from her hand and put them on the nightstand, kissing her.

* * *

A while later, Rory sat down on the couch in the living room and Jess followed, sitting next to her.

"Why are we out here?"

"Food. Without you distracting me." She pointed her finger at him and he smirked, kissing it.

"I suppose you didn't enjoy being distracted."

"Chinese is fine, right?" She ignored his comment and lifted a menu but he shook his head, still smirking.

"Not them." Picking up another menu from the table, he handed it to her. "This place."

"Give me two minutes to look through it." She opened the menu and he leaned against the couch, waiting for her to be finished. Before she could decide, Matt walked in the room and waved at the two.

"Chris left for his date."

"And you had to walk him to the door and make sure she's suitable for him? And that she makes sure he's home by 10?" Jess smirked. "We're getting Chinese, want to join?"

"Sure." He sat down in the armchair, pointing to the menu in Rory's hand.

"Chopsticks?"

"Yeah."

"Do you have this memorized?" Rory looked up and the two nodded. A few minutes later, after they ordered food, Matt looked at Rory, smiling.

"I don't suppose he's showed you his book? And I am not using that as a sexual euphemism."

Blushing, she looked down, making Jess smirk. "Nope, he hasn't." She answered when she could look Matt again in the eyes.

"Go on, Jess! You've been writing it for ages."

"I'm done writing. Now I'm just making sure there are no embarrassing typos before you get to see it. Told you. Christmas."

"How the hell does that take so long?"

"You see, Matt, I have this thing called a job. You might remember." He looked at his friend, his hand resting idly on Rory's leg.

"Oh, please." The man sighed. "Hurry up, will you?"

"What he said." Rory grinned at her boyfriend and he shook his head, smirking.

"Don't make me change my mind or you'll both have to wait a very long time."

"Shutting up now. So what have you been doing? Other than the obvious."

"Matt, you really don't want to live until tomorrow, do you?" Jess glared at him when he saw Rory blushing again.

"Rory, my comments are in no way meant to make you feel bad. I just have this stupid idea that I'm funny. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable." Matt recited proudly, making her laugh.

"It's fine. Might as well get used to it if I'm going to see you more often."

"So he wasn't lying when he said you guys are moving in together?"

"Not if you don't mind me stealing your roommate."

"God, take him!" He laughed, making Rory laugh as well.

"See what I have to put up with?" Jess smirked, kissing her shoulder.

"Be nice to your friends, Jess."

"Why can't anyone be on my side for once?" He ran his hand through his hair, trying to sound annoyed.

"Because we don't actually like you. Sorry." Matt grinned.

"And because it's more fun this way." Rory smiled at him, kissing his cheek.

"Ha! Thank you, Rory!" Matt announced excitedly and Jess shook his head.

"Would you prefer an oven mitt for Christmas instead of my book? Nice set of pans?"

"Sure, you can use them when you make me dinner." Rory grinned again, snuggling closer to him and squeezing his hand.

"And on that note, I say 'aw' and leave you two alone because I need to work."

"So that's why you're not out drinking." Jess smirked.

"Stupid weekend duty. And procrastination. Call me when dinner is here." Matt stood up and walked to his room, leaving them alone. Leaning on Jess, Rory smiled happily as he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her temple.

"Apartment hunting?" He asked and she nodded.

A couple of hours and dinner later, Rory picked up the coffee pot, pouring coffee in her mug while Jess watched her, sitting on a chair. Walking to him, she put the mug on the table and cupped his face in her hands, smiling happily.

"We have options."

"You can call them on Monday and arrange things, then let me know what time you need me to be free to check those places out."

"I love you." She leaned down and kissed him, her fingers caressing his face. "I can't believe this is actually happening."

"It's actually happening." He nodded, kissing her palm. "But keep in mind that none of those places might work out."

"Doesn't matter. We'll look some more if they don't."

"Ok."

"Promise this is not just amazing dream that I'm going to wake up from and I'll be back on that stupid job, away from you?"

Pulling her down so that she was straddling him, Jess wrapped his arms around her while she circled his neck. Smiling, he looked into her eyes and nodded.

"Promise."

"This day has been perfect."

Kissing her softly, he smiled again, hugging her closer to him. "You happy?"

"I am…so much more than happy. Exhausted, but incredibly happy."

"Bed time?"

"Oh, please, you're going to go to sleep at 10 o'clock?"

"Who said anything about sleep?" Jess smirked, kissing her one more time.


	40. Home is where you are

**A/N: My mind fell in a gutter sometime last week. Someone send firemen to save it because it's still there. In other words: sexual conversations and innuendos abundant, proceed with care ;). I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you for the reviews.**

* * *

**Home is where you are**

Monday morning, Jess grumbled when his alarm rang, pushing the clock off the nightstand. Sitting up in the bed and cursing, he saw Rory walk up to him, smiling.

"Are you always this violent to your alarm in the morning?"

"Only on Mondays."

Putting down the two mugs she was holding in her hands on the nightstand and sitting on the bed next to him, Rory picked up the clock from the floor, pouting when she saw a crack running across its screen.

"Poor little alarm clock."

"Fuck it. We'll get a new one."

"Only if you promise you'll be nicer to it." She leaned in and kissed him, running her fingers through his hair and he smirked, pulling her in for another kiss.

"No promises."

"I made coffee."

"I can see that."

"Go on then, drink your coffee then go shower and work."

"No staying in bed? Bummer." He tried to pout but ended up chuckling, making her laugh again.

"Like we've been doing anything else for the past two days."

"I don't see a problem with that." Jess leaned in and kissed her neck. "This week might not be all that bad."

"Really?"

"Well, it started off well." He shot from his place and pinned her down between him and the bed, smirking when she started squirming.

"Jess, you have to work!"

"Uh-huh." He kissed her neck and she laughed, moving down under him until she could kiss him.

"Work."

"What are you, my conscience?"

"Someone has to be."

"I'm actually good without one." He smirked, kissing her again.

"No, you're not. And I won't let you miss work." She escaped from under him, standing up and picking her mug, drinking from it.

"Mean." Jess looked at her, smirking and she shook her head.

"Yes, I'm awful. Now out of bed."

"Fine." He sighed, getting out of bed and walking to her, putting his hands on her waist and pulling her closer to him. "Are you always this mean in the morning?"

"If I have to be." Rory smiled back at him, kissing him quickly. "I won't be responsible for you missing work. Do you have any idea what Matt and Chris will think if you're late?"

"We've been holed up in here all weekend. I think it's too late to worry about that one." Jess watched her as she blushed, lowering her eyes and he kissed her cheek. "I love you." He leaned and whispered in her ear, making her look at him again and kiss him, her smile growing bigger.

"Love you too. Now…"

"I know, I know. Shower, work, all that." He picked up his mug from the nightstand and drank from it, before putting it back down and heading to the bathroom. "No chance that I'll convince you to…?"

Glaring at him, Rory picked up her mug again. "Hurry up, you don't want to be late."

* * *

Later that day, Jess walked back in his bedroom in his lunch break. When she saw him, Rory jumped up from the chair and hugged him, making him chuckle.

"You couldn't have missed me that much."

"I got the interview!" She exclaimed excitedly, crushing her mouth to his.

"What?"

"The Inquirer called! I have an interview on Wednesday!"

"Really?"

"Yes!" She nodded, kissing him again. "They called half an hour ago and they said I have to go at 10 and they have an opening and I might get a job and have real press credentials again!"

"Congratulations." Jess smiled, kissing her again and squeezing her hand. "Why didn't you come downstairs to tell me?"

"You're working. I didn't want to distract you." She bit her lip, looking away from him.

"There are good and bad distractions. You? Good."

"So I suppose I should have come downstairs to tell you I talked to the real estate guy?"

"What did he say?" Jess sat down on the bed, taking her with him and she smiled, curling up next to him.

"Can you take tomorrow morning off?"

"Yeah." He nodded, kissing the top of her head.

"Then we're going to go look at apartments." Rory smiled, moving up again and kissing him, resting her forehead against his. "Thank you."

"What the hell are you thanking me for?" He chuckled, kissing her quickly.

"For skipping work to go look for an apartment."

"My pleasure." Jess smirked, cupping her face in his hand before kissing her again.

"Lunch?"

"I'll make a sandwich later." He flipped them around, smirking as his hand slipped under her shirt.

* * *

A while later, after Jess had gone back downstairs, Rory picked up her phone and dialed her mother's number, waiting for her to pick up.

"_Daughter of mine! One and only spawn! Fruit of my…"_

"Stop there. It's too early for you to have been drinking already."

"_Maybe."_

"Have you been drinking?"

"_No. Just bored. What's going on with you?"_

"I won't be home until later on Wednesday."

"_Why?"_

"I have an interview!"

"_They called back?"_

"They called back!" She yelped excitedly again, smiling.

"_Aw, great news, kid."_

"I know. This is actually working out."

"_Apartment hunting?"_

"We're going to look at places tomorrow."

"_Even better news!" _

"You're sure you're ok with me moving here?"

"_Oh, God, how many times do I have to tell you? No, please don't move in with your boyfriend. Stay with mommy forever. How do you think Norman Bates got the way he was? Hm?"_ Lorelai tried to sound supportive, not wanting to make her daughter feel bad about her choice.

"Mom…?"

"_Yeah?" _

"Thanks."

"_You're welcome, hon. Just…"_

"I know, come visit. Every other weekend, I swear. I just need to get my car back."

"_Even if the hoodlum doesn't want to?"_

"Even if. I'll leave him here and come for a girls only weekend."

"_And your car is safe in the garage. For the first time since creation, the garage is being used for its intended purpose. How cool is that?"_

"Not for long."

"_Yeah, well, it had to end someday. They've had some good times together. Of course, the garage will pine for a while because the car has moved on, but it is time, it is time I tell you, my friends!"_

"You sure you haven't been drinking?"

"_What's that, honey? You love me so very much and you just wanted to tell me I'm the awesomest mother on Earth? Yes, I know!"_ Lorelai grinned. _"Shoot, I have to go. Michel looks like his head is about to explode so I think I should go to the kitchen and ignore him for a while, see if it actually does."_

"Have fun, mom. Bye."

"_Bye, kid."_

* * *

Tuesday morning, as they walked into their fifth apartment of the day, Rory let out an unsatisfied sigh.

"They looked so different in pictures!"

"Better. That's the word you're looking for." Jess smirked, kissing her cheek.

Looking at them, the agent put on his best showcase smile, pointing to a door. "Wait 'till you see the bedroom. I believe that's going to make all the difference."

Cocking an eyebrow when the man couldn't see him, Jess chuckled, leaning closer to her ear. "All the difference!" He mocked the man's tone, making Rory laugh.

"Be nice, Jess."

"I'm tired of being nice, I've been nice all morning. I am not punching this idiot in the face, that's about as nice as I can be right now."

Walking around the small bedroom, and pointing to various things, the man continued talking, ignoring the two of them.

"All these windows, aren't they lovely? This room is so nice and bright in the morning, I'd kill to live here myself."

"Don't let us stop you." Jess deadpanned, making the man sigh, finally realizing that he had lost that battle as well.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen. I'm sure the young lady will like it. The oven might just make you change your minds!"

"Ok, you can punch him now." Rory giggled when the man was out of the room, kissing Jess.

"Don't tempt me."

"This isn't going all that great, is it?"

"What are you saying? It's going fantastic! Haven't you seen the windows?" He chuckled again, kissing her. "A room with windows. Huh, must be a new thing."

"They just started doing it a while back." She smiled, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Ugh, this room is so freaking bright."

"You know, you're a grown up now. You can say the other f word." He smirked, looping his fingers through the hoops of her jeans and pulling her closer to him.

"I don't like that one."

"The word or the action? Because you seemed to be enjoying it this morning." He cocked his eyebrow, making her blush.

"We'd never be able to sleep in in the mornings." She decided to ignore his comment, sticking out her tongue and circling his neck with her arms.

"I'm sorry, when do you actually sleep in? You were up before me yesterday and I'm the one with the job here."

"Hey, I can be lazy."

"Uh-huh. Sure you can."

"Sunday morning?" She pointed her finger at him, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "I woke up at 11."

"That's because you were up until very, very late on Saturday night."

"That's because you kept me awake."

"I didn't hear you complaining, did I? In fact, the only thing I remember hearing from you was…"

"So, should we go find the guy and tell him we hate this one as well?" Rory stopped him before he could finish his sentence, making him laugh again.

"Don't you want to see the oven first? He's sure you'll love it. You can make me a nice casserole. Wait with dinner on the table for your man to come home from work."

"I'm sorry, you must have me confused with your other girlfriend again. I'm the one that doesn't cook."

"Damn it, third time today. Could you wear a nametag or something so I can keep the two of you straight from now on?"

"Just think of me as the one that will kick you out of bed tonight if you annoy her." Rory grinned, kissing him one more time before she took his hand and dragged him to the kitchen. Seeing them, the man flashed his smile again, pointing at the oven.

"What did I tell you? Isn't it beautiful?"

"Uh, sorry, Ned, this one isn't it either."

"But…"

"We don't cook that much." She shot him down quickly and the man sighed.

"Fine. The next one has a smaller kitchen, but I think you'll…"

"We know, really love it!" Jess smirked, mimicking the man's tone again.

"Let's go." He huffed, heading for the front door. A short drive later, they walked into another apartment. Turning around to look at them, Ned lifted his arms, a fake grin on his lips.

"What did I tell you?"

"No." The younger couple answered in unison, making the man sigh.

"Really? But it's wonderf…"

"No." Rory interrupted him, looking around the cramped living room.

"Wouldn't you at least like to take a few minutes to…?"

"No." She didn't let him finish his sentence again, making Jess smirk.

"You heard her. No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Jess and Rory nodded again and the man shook his head slowly.

"This is useless."

"We couldn't agree more, Ted." Jess smirked, making Rory smile and squeeze his hand.

"My name is Ned." The man grunted, looking at them. "I need to go make a phone call and see if the last apartment I wanted to show you is free. If not, we'll just have to start looking again sometime later this week."

"You do that." Rory smiled and he walked outside the room, leaving them alone. "I don't have time to look again this week. Why is this so hard?" She sighed, looking at Jess.

"Because he's an imbecile."

"Maybe we're just too picky? The second apartment wasn't all that bad."

"The one with the awful, tiny bedroom? The bed barely fit in there. I need a desk."

"Right. I was thinking about the third one then?" She tilted her head to the side, trying to remember what that one had looked like.

"Massive kitchen, living room that was even smaller than this one. Where would our books go?"

"First?"

"The only half decent choice so far. But we'd have to paint all of it and the bathroom was too small for your liking."

"I could get used to a small bathroom."

"We don't have to settle for anything right now. It's not like we don't have a place to live."

"I know…but I want to live with you. Just you. I like Matt and Chris but…"

"I know. Can't say I'm not looking forward to not having to get us to the bedroom when you decide I'm too hot for you to stop yourself when I'm trying to cook."

"Oh, please." Rory snorted, kissing him. "It was the cooking, not you. I would find a gorilla attractive if it was making me dinner."

After a moment of silence, Jess tilted his head slightly, looking at her. "Heard that sound?"

"What sound?"

"My ego flinging itself off the building." He smirked, trailing kisses down her jaw.

"Poor you." She ran her fingers down his chest, smiling.

"You might have to be especially nice to me the rest of the day for me to recover."

"Oh, please, your ego could use some deflating."

"Really? So why were you trying to do the opposite thing this morning? Let's see, what was it…?"

Blushing, Rory brought her finger up to his lips, trying to keep him quiet. "Don't bring that up. I was…"

"Well fucked?" He cocked an eyebrow, kissing her finger and smirking.

"Jerk."

Before Jess could reply, Ned walked back on the room and Rory moved away from Jess, her hand still holding his.

"You're in luck, we can go see the last one now!"

"Oh, great." Jess sighed and Rory smiled, squeezing his hand.

"I'm sorry?" Ned turned around to look at them.

"Nothing, he's just very excited about this last apartment." She grinned, looking at Jess and he pinched the back of her hand, making her glare at him. Another car ride later, they all walked into the living room of another apartment. Letting go of Jess' hand, Rory walked up to the wall on her left, pointing to the shelves covering about half of it.

"Shelves!"

"I can see that."

"Lots of shelves!" She pointed again and Jess walked to her, while Ned watched them.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" He questioned, not knowing what to expect.

"Good." Rory nodded, glancing quickly at Ned. "We could fit about half of our books in here!" She beamed excitedly at Jess and he nodded.

"You guys read that much?" Ned tried to join their conversation.

"Nope, we're just talking about her cookbooks." Jess grinned, kissing Rory's cheek.

"There are more shelves in the bedroom, if you want to go see that."

"Yes!" Rory took Jess' hand again and the man led them to the bedroom, pointing to the other bookcase.

"More shelves, and the windows face south, because I gathered you didn't like that earlier." Opening another door, he pointed in. "Bathroom. It's not huge, but it's a decent size." He walked around again, opening another door. "A closet. Again, nothing big, but if you get a chest of drawers or something, you can make it work." Walking to the living room again, they followed him, Rory still grinning excitedly. "You'd have to also get a couch or something, but since it's not really furnished, the rent for this one is slightly smaller." Quickly walking to the other side of the room, he walked through the large doorway and into the kitchen. "It's more open plan and I'm not sure how you feel about that…"

"We have no opinions on it. Listen, Ned, can we get a few minutes alone to talk?"

"Sure." The man nodded, walking back to the living room. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

"Shelves! Lots and lots of shelves!" Rory grinned again when they were alone, dragging him back to the living room and pointing at them again.

"I have never seen anyone get so excited over shelves."

"Our books would not have to live on the floor. Not all of them, anyway."

"We'd have to paint the living room because I hate this gray." He pointed to the walls, sighing, and she knew she had won.

"We could do it together. It would be fun." She grinned, kissing him full force on the mouth. "Say you love it as much as I do."

"I like the size of that bed, that much I can give you." He smirked, letting go of her hand and walking back to the bedroom.

"And look, new mattress." Rory smiled again, walking up to him.

"We would have to buy a couch, though."

"I can pick it out alone, if you don't want to come." She kissed him quickly, before walking to the bathroom. "Bathtub!"

Walking to her and wrapping his arm around her waist from behind, Jess kissed her shoulder softly. "Such a girl thing to be excited about."

"Well, I am a girl. You might have noticed."

"I should make sure." He started sliding his hand up her body but she slapped it down quickly.

"No checking in public, mister."

"Our apartment is public now?" He smirked, kissing her head and she turned around in his arms, grinning excitedly.

"Does this mean we're taking it?"

"I think that was decided the second you saw the shelves. We can look for a couch as soon as we have a move-in date."

"We?" Rory cupped his face in her hands and he nodded, kissing her.

"Wouldn't want to end up with something frilly."

Letting go of his face and circling his neck instead, she kissed him as Jess wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her close to him. Pulling back, she took his hand in hers, placing one more kiss on his lips before dragging him out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Is this ok with you? Because I don't know how this cooking thing works so I couldn't care less. But if you need more space or something…"

"You can only ask that if you haven't already decided which counter the coffee machine will go on."

Blushing, Rory pointed to the one next to the door. "There's a socket and this way, caffeine is always close."

"I'll go tell get village idiot." Jess nodded again and tried to head out the door but she caught his hand, stopping him.

"Jess, do you want this apartment? If you don't love it, we can look some more. Like you said, it's not like we don't have a place to live. We don't have to rush it."

"What did I say Friday night I want for our place?"

Rory blushed, kissing him. "I'll be here. Promise."

"Then?"

"I want you to really like it. This is our home we're talking about." She smiled softly and he cupped her face in his hand, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

"I like it." He kissed her again, his thumb running over her skin. "Home."

"Home." Rory nodded, her smile growing bigger and she kissed him. "Your desk can go under the window. That would leave enough room for us to put an armchair next to it, in that corner so that I'll have somewhere to sit and read while you write and…"

"Would you like me to go get the guy and tell him we're taking this place before you start actually organizing everything?" He interrupted her, smirking and she nodded, pulling away from him.

"Go!"

Chuckling, Jess leaned over and kissed her one more time before he left the room, only to return with Ned a few seconds later.

"So, guys? What do you think?"

Nodding and squeezing Jess' hand, Rory grinned. "We'll take it."


	41. Serious, marriage, babies

**A/N: Sorry for the delay with this, it's been one of those days. Weeks. Whatever. Anyway, enjoy and thank you for the reviews. **

**

* * *

Serious, marriage, babies**

Later that night, Rory and Jess were in bed. Smiling at him, she pushed a strand of hair behind his ear.

"We have an apartment. Our apartment."

"Yeah, we do." He nodded, catching her hand in his and kissing her palm.

"You happy?"

"No, I'm absolutely miserable." He chuckled.

"I'm serious, Jess."

"Really?" Smirking, he propped himself up on one arm and looked at her, his other hand resting on her waist. "How serious?"

"Very." She scooted closer to him. "This is a big thing and I want you to be happy about it."

"We're still getting rid of that awful gray?"

"Yes. You can pick the color, if you want to."

"Black."

"You're kidding." She laughed, lifting her head and kissing him.

"No, you didn't let me finish. I was thinking some fluorescent paint, draw lines, maybe write down some Hemingway quotes on the walls. Glow in the dark, nightclub theme." Jess chuckled again, making her shake her head and laugh.

"That's it, offer rescinded. Pink walls it is."

"Sorry, I don't think we can move in together after all. I can't deal with pink."

"Want me to call Ned or will you?"

"You do it, I might forget." He leaned in and kissed her, his hand running over her skin.

"I think I might forget as well."

"Damn it, looks like we're stuck with this."

"How awful."

"We're still not painting the living room pink."

"I wasn't seriously suggesting it anyway." Rory reassured him, lifting her head and kissing him again.

"Good."

"But are you happy?" She cupped his face in her hand, running her thumb across his cheekbone. "And be serious for a second."

"God, stubborn, pigheaded woman." He lied back down on the bed, moving closer to her and kissing her neck. "Yes, I am happy. Are you? Because if you don't stop asking me that I am going to assume it's because you're actually miserable and don't know how else to say it."

"I'm absolutely miserable." She crushed her mouth to his, grinning.

"Good. Now about those black walls…?" Jess cocked an eyebrow smirking and she shook her head quickly.

"No."

"I don't get to have any fun." He tried to pout, leaning in for another kiss.

"You poor thing." Rory kissed him, laughing.

* * *

The next morning, Jess was woken up by her furious pacing around the room, digging through a bag. Grumbling as he opened his eyes and sat up in bed, he looked at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to find something to wear!" She announced, sitting down on the floor, crossing her legs under her and starting to dig through an opened suitcase.

"Rory…it's 7." He glanced at the clock on the nightstand.

"Yes, I know!"

"Your interview isn't for another 3 hours."

"So I should hurry up?" She finally looked up, making him chuckle.

"Come back to bed." Jess smirked, looking at her and she shook her head.

"Can't. I have no idea where my interview suit is and it probably needs ironing and I want to grab some breakfast so I don't sit there starving and can actually focus on what they're saying, then maybe go over my notes again…"

"Ok, stop. Notes?" He lifted one eyebrow, trying not to laugh. "You're serious?"

"I like being prepared."

"This settles it, you're crazy."

Glaring at him, she shook her head, starting to dig through her clothes again. Jess sighed and picked up his t-shirt from the floor, putting it on before he walked to her, crouching down next to her.

"I'll go make breakfast and coffee."

"No, Jess, go back to sleep. It's too early for you to be up."

"Omelette ok?" He ignored her protests, placing a quick kiss on her lips.

Smiling, she nodded quickly then went back to looking through her clothes while Jess walked to the kitchen.

* * *

Later that day, Rory walked into Truncheon, her bag strewn across her shoulder and a smile on her face. Walking to Jess' desk, she waved at the other two guys and they smiled back, looking up from their work.

"How did it go?" Matt asked, while Jess kept looking at her, the same question in his eyes.

"Pretty well, I think. They said they'll let me know by the end of next week." She walked to Jess and leaned over, placing a quick peck on his lips. "I'm going to go pack."

"Aw, I can't believe you're leaving already." Matt sighed. "Breakfast was awesome this morning."

"We bow down to your amazing eating abilities!" Chris chuckled, bowing down on his desk, making her laugh.

"Don't worry, I'll be back next week and make him cook again. And if you think that was impressive, you should see me eat on a movie night."

"Yeah, but then you're both moving out!" Matt pouted, sighing again.

"You said it's ok for me to steal him." She glanced down at Jess quickly as he wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her down in his lap.

"That was before he made breakfast. Now, sorry, you can't have him. You'll both have to live here forever and ever." The young man announced victoriously.

"Matt? Expanding? Us moving out as well?" Chris reminded him and he grumbled in frustration.

"Then we're taking them with us! I demand to be fed!" He shot his friend a look.

"You can come by our place once in a while. Give me a two day warning and I'll convince him to make us dinner." Rory smiled, kissing Jess' cheek quickly.

"Oh, now I do whatever you want?" He cocked an eyebrow, looking at her and she leaned in closer to his ear.

"How about if I promise to do anything you want in exchange?" She kissed his cheek quickly while his hand ran over her leg under the desk.

"Gah, you two are too adorable together."

"Can I punch him now?" Jess looked up at Rory and she shook her head, standing up.

"No. And I really have to pack."

"What exactly do you have to pack? You've been living out of your suitcase since Friday."

"The bag I was rummaging through this morning." She reminded him, heading up the stairs. "I'll see you all in half an hour."

"Jess, go help the girl!" Both Matt and Chris grinned at him and he nodded, hurrying up the stairs after her. Catching up to her before she could walk in the apartment, he wrapped one arm around her waist from behind, kissing her shoulder.

"I was sent to help."

"Help or distract?" She twisted her neck and kissed him.

"Depends on what you'll let me do." Opening the door to the apartment, she walked in, pointing to the kitchen.

"Start with coffee. We'll see after that."

A few minutes later, Jess walked in his bedroom, holding two mugs in his hands and he placed them on the desk, looking at Rory, who was finishing buttoning her jeans.

"Damn, I missed you getting changed."

"Sorry." She walked up to him, kissing him as he slid his hands in her back pockets, smirking.

"No chance for a repeat, is there?"

"I'm already dressed."

"I can solve that."

"I have a train to catch in an hour." She tried to protest again as he pulled her closer to him, his mouth covering hers.

"There's always another train."

"Jess, mom is going to be waiting for me at the station. So your options are either distract me and deal with her wrath or be nice and I promise I'll let you distract me all you want Friday night when you come to Stars Hollow."

"But it's less fun if I have permission." He started trailing kisses down her neck, making her sigh.

"Be nice." She pulled away from him, sitting back on the floor again and starting to organize the clothes in her suitcase.

"Have you thought how you're going to tell Cruella about us moving in together?"

"I think I'll work it in the conversation after I tell them I'm moving here."

"Should go over well."

"I believe you'll be able to hear her yelling from your car."

"Or she'll be quiet and pleasant and then hire a hitman." Jess drank from his mug, looking at her.

"I hope not, I like you alive." Rory smiled. "What time do you think you'll get there?"

"Sometime after 8. I'll be in the diner, holding a coffee pot for when you're done."

"And ice cream?"

"It's a diner, they have ice cream there."

"Not in cones." She smiled up at him, remembering a conversation they'd had years before. Standing up and walking to him, she put her hands on his waist "Done."

"Really?"

"Sometimes being organized works in my favor."

"Freakishly organized."

"Whatever." She crushed her mouth to his, taking the mug from him and placing it on the desk next to them.

* * *

A bit later, they were standing in the train station, waiting for her train to come.

"It's unfair, you know. I don't want to leave."

"Go spend time with Lorelai. I'll be there on Friday night."

"That doesn't make it any less unfair." She cupped his face in her hand, kissing him. "I'll miss you."

"We've done this a million times. It's only for two days."

"Let me be sad for a minute, will you?" Rory laughed, making him smirk.

"No. Go, get on your train, write twenty lists with things we need for our apartment, then have fun with Lorelai and you'll see me soon."

"Will you read the lists?"

"Can I mock them? That's what my decision depends on." He kissed her quickly.

"Will you be nice?"

"Mocking isn't supposed to be nice." Jess smirked and she shook her head.

"Then no. I should go. The train is supposed to be here in 5 minutes."

"Call if the people at the newspaper call to tell you anything, ok?"

"Ok." She kissed him again, smiling. "I'll see you on Friday."

"Have fun." Jess placed one last kiss on her lips before letting go of her and starting to walk towards the parking lot, waving before he reached the main door of the station. A few minutes later, Rory got on the train and pulled out her notebook, getting ready to start on a new list when she saw his handwriting on the first page.

"_I promised there'd be more notes, didn't I? _

_Our apartment. The first time you say those words, they don't even register fully. But then we find it and you call it our home and I realize…it is. I am finally home. With you. Home. I have called a lot of places home before and it was always just this word I used, because it is the easiest word to use, but it never made a difference. And then you say it. Our home. With its ugly gray walls that have to go(should we get rid of them permanently and get pillars instead?) and myriad of shelves that made you giggle like you had just found the greatest thing in the world and its decently sized bathroom and all that. And it is home and I am home and it's small and it fits us. _

_You make it home."_

* * *

Later that night, Rory and Lorelai were in the Gilmore house, sitting on the living room couch, completely ignoring the movie on the TV.

"And I know it's really fast, but the apartment has been empty for so long that we can actually move in next weekend."

"That is really fast."

"That's why I'm going back on Monday, to figure things out. We need to get a new alarm clock, a coffee machine, a couch-that's the big one, probably some plates and bowls, new sheets, because I've never really had a double bed that was mine and Jess' bed is smaller than…" Rory started reciting, finishing her slice of pizza.

"Ew! Ew! Ew!" Lorelai grimaced, covering her ears with her hands.

"What?"

"I don't want to think about Jess' bed! It's just…ew!"

"Mom, I was talking about sheets." Rory tilted her head to the side, a questioning look on her face.

"Sheets that you've both slept on and…ok, I need to think about something else before I am scarred for life."

"You're insane." She stood up, walking to the kitchen and picking up the coffee pot. "Has anyone told you that lately?" She asked her mother, filling both their cups before dropping the pot on the table and sitting back down.

"Luke. Almost every day."

"God, they're more alike than I thought."

"What?"

"Jess takes great pleasure in informing me daily that he thinks I'm crazy."

"I swear, they need more training. Do they not realize that we're always the rational ones?" Lorelai grinned, picking up her mug from the table. "Anyway, why do you need a new alarm clock?"

"Jess decided to send his flying across the room Monday morning."

"Not a morning person?"

"No." Rory laughed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, didn't think so either. So I can assume things between you guys are still great, since you're actually moving in together and everything?"

"Things are…so much more than great. He's amazing."

"Good. This was I don't have to kill him."

"Actually, there's kind of something I've wanted to tell you for a while, but I wanted to tell you in person and not over the phone, so I keep putting it off and now it's kind of late for you to first hear about this, but I really want to tell you!" Rory rambled, looking away from her mother.

"You're not…? Or thinking you might be…?"

"I'm not what?" She looked up again, picking up her mug from the table.

"In the family way, so to speak."

"Pregnant? No! Mom, no."

"Oh, good." Lorelai sighed, relieved, picking up her mug as well. "Because I am not ready to be a grandmother."

"I'm not ready to be a mother either right now, don't worry."

"Right now? That means that at some point…oh, wow."

"A point a long, long time from now, ok? Very long time. Jess and I aren't even officially living together right now. Babies can wait."

"Good." Lorelai exhaled loudly again, looking at her daughter. "So, this thing you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"Because…I kind of asked Jess if he would marry me."

"What? You and Jess and you and getting married and…" Lorelai rambled, trying to understand. "Heart attack symptoms check please."

"Mom, you're not having a heart attack. And please listen until the end, ok?"

"Are you getting married?" She just skipped over Rory's request, picking up her mug.

"No." Rory shook her head.

"Are you sure?"

"I think I'd know if I was engaged."

"Well, why the hell would you open with that then?"

"Because that's what happened. Now you have to listen to everything and not jump to conclusions."

"Fine." Lorelai sighed, drinking from her mug.

"In June, when he came to St. Paul, when Obama won the nomination, I asked him if he would marry me that night. That turned into a kind of a hypothetical conversation about eloping, which was only made hypothetical by Jess bringing you and all the other things I'd be skipping if I didn't do the traditional wedding thing."

"You don't have to, you know."

"I don't have to what?"

"Have a big white wedding." Lorelai pointed out, drinking from her mug.

"Mom, that's not the point."

"I don't know what the point is. You want to marry Jess, I think we can count that as the main point." She realized.

"I…think so." Rory admitted, looking down in her mug. "Is that stupid?"

"No…no, it's not, hon." She smiled at her daughter, putting her hand on her arm reassuringly. "You want what you want."

"You're calm about this."

"I don't really have much of a choice here, do I?" Lorelai laughed softly. "Well, not unless we want to risk another unfortunate period like the one we do not talk about."

Taking a deep breath, Rory looked at her mother. "Jess made me come back."

"What?"

"He came to Hartford and showed me his book. We talked, actually he kind of he yelled at me and he had a point. He tried to fix things. It would have taken me way longer had it not been for him."

"Remind me to thank him for that, will you?" Lorelai smiled at her daughter again.

"But, even with that, you don't have to be ok with me wanting to marry him." Rory looked at her mother. "It's not like I can tell you how to feel about this."

"I don't know how I feel about this. But it's your life and you're 24, so I don't have a say."

"You always have a say. But I would prefer it if you were on my side."

"Are you happy with him?"

"Yes."

"Happy enough to make it through all the crap that may come your way? Because no matter how much you love each other, marriage isn't incredible all the time."

"Yes." She nodded again. "Everything just fits together. And it's easy."

"And if it turns hard?"

"We've done hard before. I can handle it."

"Can he? Because, and oh, you're so going to hate me for saying this, he left before. Are you sure he won't do it again?"

"He's not 18. He knows what he's doing. Job, house, friends…he has that now. He had it before we started dating again. Hell, he had it together when I didn't."

Putting her hand on Rory's arm again, Lorelai smiled. "Sorry. I had to bring it up."

"I know. But you have to give him a chance."

"This isn't about giving him chances. Rory, I like him. But I still need to make sure you know what you're potentially getting yourself into."

"I know. I am very well aware of everything that marrying him would bring. But I want that. The thing that was missing with Logan…it's there now."

"So you're marrying Jess?"

"We haven't brought it up since June. And he kind of requested that I let him do the proposing." Rory laughed, putting her empty mug on the table.

"But if he asks?"

"It's going to be yes."

"Even if he asks tomorrow?"

"I doubt he will, but if he would, then it would still be yes."

"Even though you've only been dating for one year? You don't have to jump straight to engaged, you can be boyfriend and girlfriend for a while longer."

"Mom, we probably will be. I wanted to tell you about that conversation, that's it. And really, you and Luke got engaged after one year as well. The first time. It took you what, two months this time?"

"Well, we're old. Had to hurry up getting started on things."

"What things? Are we still talking married life, or is there something more being debated here?"

"We may have been talking about other things lately." Lorelai grinned, looking down. "We're not sure yet, but there's a good possibility that we'll get started on other things soon."

"Oh, wow…" Rory jumped from her place, hugging her mother. "I'm happy for you. So happy for you."

"Hey, nothing is determined yet."

"Yeah, well, I can be happy later as well. Not sure how I'm going to feel about not being your only child anymore but I can deal with that when the time comes."

"You better." Lorelai threatened jokingly, still hugging Rory. When she pulled back, Lorelai smiled, pointing to the TV. "Enough serious talks for one night?"

"Oh, yeah. Bring on the movie!"


	42. Sometimes pie is the best thing

**A/N: I need to thank Megan(_LukeAndLorelai Brucas Fan_)for her help in getting this chapter done. Thank you, sweetie. And thanks to everyone who reads and reviews. You all rock.**

**

* * *

**

**Sometimes pie is the best thing about a night**

Friday afternoon, Rory and Lorelai were in the car, on their way to Hartford. Picking up her cup of take-away coffee, Rory sighed.

"Tonight is going to suck."

"Probably."

"I don't want to tell her."

"Hey, maybe something fell on her head and she'll take it well." Lorelai grinned, glancing at her daughter quickly.

"Mom, she's still not calling. She barely talks to me. I highly doubt that that has changed today."

"Maybe something fell on her head today? I don't know, kid. Just tell her and when she yells, ignore her. It's not like her opinion matters."

"Would it kill her to be supportive?"

"Rory, this is my mother we're talking about. She doesn't do supportive. It's against her principles."

"She's insane, that's what she is."

"Oh, and you just realized that now? I've been telling you that for years."

"You'll help when she starts yelling?"

"No, I was thinking more like being completely useless and sitting there quietly. Maybe even agreeing with her." Lorelai laughed.

"You're not funny."

"You have to relax. Have a couple of drinks, throw it in the conversation and hope she doesn't realize what you said until you're out of the house. Then, when she calls to yell at you, you can just put the phone on the table and let her rant."

"And if she does hear me?"

"Then drink some more and ignore her." Pulling the car into the driveway and turning off the engine, Lorelai looked at her daughter. "It will be ok."

"No, it won't."

"Just focus on the fact that when this is over, Jess will be at the diner with coffee and your party is tomorrow night…"

"Party to which she is coming." Rory interrupted her before she could finish her sentence. "How is thinking about that going to make me feel better? Or end well, for that matter?"

"It's a party, you can ignore her. Play hostess all night and spend as little time as possible with her."

"Did you have to invite her?"

"She asked! What was I supposed to tell her?"

"I don't know. Lie, that would have worked! You've joined a cult that forbids birthday parties."

"Yeah, I'll use that next time. And keep in mind I didn't actually invite her, she invited herself. Seriously, the conversation went like this: me saying "blah-blah Rory's party" and her replying with "when is it so I know to clear my schedule? I assume I am invited to my granddaughter's birthday party, after not having seen her for almost a year, Lorelai". I had nowhere to hide."

"She's good with the guilt tripping, isn't she?"

"Oh, she's had practice."

"Keep in mind that if she says something and you don't help me out, I will pull out the fact that you're thinking about having another child and tell her she should call and inquire about the process until something happens."

"I doubt my mother is that interested in my sex life."

"She will be if it leads to another grandchild."

"With Luke. She still dislikes him. Half of his genes means that she'll dislike this very potential child until the day it stops being potential."

"God, she's impossible." Rory sighed, getting out of the car. Standing in front of the doorbell, she looked at her mother who was right next to her. "Let's get this over it."

"It will be ok, honey."

"So something landed on your head today?"

"Walked into a door. Hurt head. No blood. Good." Lorelai laughed, ringing the doorbell. A few seconds later, a maid opened the door and took the girls' coats, pointing to the living room.

"Hey, mom." Lorelai smiled, walking in the room and Emily looked up from her magazine.

"Lorelai, you're here."

"Me too." Rory announced, stepping inside as well. "Hey, grandma."

"Hello, Rory. Go on, sit down, I'll get you drinks." She pointed to the couch, walking in the direction of the drinks cart. "Martinis?"

"Yes, please." The girls nodded in unison.

"Mom, where's dad?" Lorelai asked, looking around the room.

"He had a dinner to go to. He would have cancelled, had we had more notice of Rory joining us tonight. You'll see him tomorrow at the party."

"Don't worry, grandma, it's fine. I wasn't sure I was coming until this week, anyway. How have you been?"

"I'm fine." Handing them their glasses and sitting back on the other couch, Emily looked at her granddaughter.

"I heard you had dinner with Logan a few months ago."

"What?" Rory asked, shocked and Lorelai put her hand on Rory's arm, trying to calm her down, looking at Emily.

"Jump straight to the point, mom, will you? We're both fine as well, by the way. Rory can tell her all about the last year at her job and any other news she might have later."

"How do you know about that?" Rory snapped at Emily, skipping over Lorelai's comment and picking up her glass, drinking from it.

"His parents told me."

"Oh, you're back to being friends? How do they know, anyway?"

"Don't be silly, Rory, they're not going to let him run around wild and unsupervised."

"So they're having him followed." She realized, shaking her head.

"Of course they are."

"Mom, you do realize that that only makes sense in your head, right?" Lorelai grumbled, drinking from her glass.

"It's the only reasonable thing to do."

"How about accepting that he's a grown-up and gets to do whatever he wants? Has that occurred to anyone?" Rory glared at her grandmother.

"He has a name to live up to, Rory." Emily sighed. "You should understand that."

"You're all crazy." Rory shook her head, looking at her mother.

"Anyway, regardless of what you think of their methods, I want to know about dinner."

"What, the detective didn't send you a copy of his report?"

"Would it kill you to be serious for five minutes, Rory? You're getting more and more like your mother every day."

"She says that with such disdain." Lorelai pointed out, now working hard on not getting angry as well. "What's so bad about Rory being like me, mom?"

"You're the one that taught her that doing this sort of thing is acceptable."

"What sort of thing?" Rory asked, not knowing what she was talking about.

"Dating that thug. Or did you break up?" Emily finally started looking more interested in the conversation. "Did having dinner with Logan make you realize what you should be doing instead?"

"Ok, apparently I didn't make myself clear last time. Keep your opinions of Jess to yourself. I don't care and don't want to know what you think of him. We're still together, I love him, dinner with Logan was just that-dinner and I am extremely happy to be with Jess. Got it?"

"Don't take that tone with me, Rory."

"Oh, God, not again." Rory sighed, drinking from her glass again. "You don't get to insult my boyfriend and then be offended when I defend him. It doesn't work that way."

"It's my house, I choose how I get spoken to."

"Then, unless you want this to end like last time, this subject is over. Jess is going to be around for a long time and you have to accept that. We're moving in together. I am happier with him than I ever was with Logan. Let it go."

"You're moving in with him?" Emily shot up from her place, starting to pace around the room. "I can't believe you'd do such a thing. What are people going to think?"

"Grandma, you weren't worried about people were going to think when I lived with Logan."

"That's because he's a Huntzberger!"

"Mom, give her a break." Lorelai sighed, looking at her mother. "Jess makes her happy, isn't that what's important?"

"If you hadn't married Luke she wouldn't be doing this!"

"Good, now it's my fault." Lorelai huffed, angry. "All is right in the world again, you've found a way to blame me for my 24 year old daughter's decisions. Am I also responsible for global warming? The Inquisition?"

"Lorelai, I'm being serious here."

"Grandma, you're not being serious, you're being insane. What I do is my decision. Mom has nothing to do with this. And, while I can't tell you how to feel about Jess, I will tell you that I don't want to hear anything about it. And tomorrow, when you see him at the party, you'd better be nice to him or I swear you will never see me again. Got it?"

"You'd avoid me because of that hooligan?"

"Second strike. Third one and I'm out of here. You will not call him names, insult him in any way, say anything bad about him or bring up Logan ever again. Now let's have dinner and stop talking about this before either one of us says something we're really going to regret."

"Rory!" Emily huffed but Lorelai stopped her before she could say anything more.

"Mom, let's do what she said." She glanced quickly at her daughter, seeing a determined look on her face. "No one wants this to turn into something even uglier, do we?"

Putting her empty glass on the table, Emily took a deep breath before walking to the dining room.

"What does that mean?" Rory asked, confused and Lorelai shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Do we follow her?"

"I don't know." Lorelai shrugged again. "But oh, boy, can mom down a drink. Can you imagine her doing tequila shots in college?"

Trying to stifle a giggle, Rory looked towards the dining room only to see Emily appear in the doorway again.

"Are you ever going to come?"

"Sorry, grandma. We're coming." The girls stood up and followed Emily to the dining room, sitting in their usual chairs.

"So, Rory, have you found a new job yet?"

* * *

Later that night, the girls walked in the diner, sitting at the counter. Pouring them coffee, Luke leaned over the counter, kissing his wife quickly, then looked at them.

"How was dinner?"

"Rory stood up to her grandmother to defend your no-good…no, that wasn't it…Rory, what did she call him?"

"Thug and hooligan."

"Your thug and hooligan nephew. It was awesome. You missed quite a show." Putting her arm around Rory, Lorelai hugged her quickly. "I'm so proud of my baby girl."

"Luke, did Jess get here?"

"Not yet, no." The man shook his head. "I saved you some peach pie."

"I knew I married you for a reason!" Lorelai exclaimed victoriously as the man grabbed two plates from the kitchen, placing them on the counter.

"Luke, have I told you lately how much I miss your coffee?" Rory smiled, drinking from her mug.

"Not today, I don't think so anyway."

"Well, teach Jess how to make it. This way I'll have an endless supply."

"If he learns how to make Luke's coffee, you have to marry him. You always marry a man that knows how to make great coffee. Why do you think I married Luke?" Lorelai quipped, squeezing Luke's head over the counter and Kirk's head appeared between them, looking at her.

"Rory's marrying Jess?"

"Go away, Kirk, it was a joke."

"You shouldn't joke about these things, Lorelai." The man grumbled.

"You should listen in to other people's conversations. Now how about you go away and we call it even?"

"Rory, if you ever marry Jess, can I be the one that marries you? I got my license on the Internet, I am ordained to perform ceremonies in the state of Connecticut. Also in Montana, Ohio, Washington and Texas."

"I don't know, Kirk, we'll see."

"Thank you for considering me. I am willing to provide references upon request, as long as you submit a written demand a month in advance." The man announced again before moving back to his table.

"Oh, imagine Jess' expression if you told him you wanted Kirk to marry you!"

"I think he'd cancel this imaginary wedding." Picking up her phone and checking the time, Rory sighed. "I'm going to call him, he should have been here by now." Grabbing her jacket, she pointed to the door. "I'll be right back."

Stepping back out from the kitchen, Luke looked at Rory. "Where's she going?" He asked Lorelai.

"Outside to call Jess."

"You could learn a thing or two from your daughter." He pointed to the sign on the wall.

"I'm your wife, rules don't apply to me."

"You're my wife, you should set an example."

"Bring me more pie, will you?"

"There isn't any more pie."

"Luke!" She exclaimed, trying to sound hurt and offended. "You should know better than to save me just one slice of pie after dinner with my mother."

"I have cherry pie, does that work?"

"I love you." She leaned across the counter, kissing him quickly. Sitting back down next to her mother, Rory sighed.

"He's not picking up."

"He probably shouldn't be, if he's driving."

"You don't think…?"

"Rory, he's ok. He's just driving and can't pick up. Traffic, stuff like that. He'll be here any minute."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about it." Lorelai rubbed her daughter's arm gently, then motioned towards the coffee pot. "Luke, be a darling."

"When you can't sleep tonight, you're not waking me up." He poured the girls more coffee, pointing at his wife, then walked to one of the other tables.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Rory was pacing around the upstairs apartment, her cup of coffee abandoned on the table. Hearing the door open, she turned towards it and saw Jess walking in, a tired look on his face.

"Where have you been?" She looked coldly at him as he walked closer to her, crossing her arms against her chest.

"Work got in the way so I couldn't leave early and I got stuck in traffic. Sorry." Jess shrugged. "How did dinner go?"

"You couldn't have been bothered to call?" She ignored his question, stepping back and leaning against the counter. "Or pick up your phone for that matter?"

"I forgot it in Philadelphia."

"Well, find a freaking payphone next time!"

"You're seriously mad over this?"

"God, Jess, I've been waiting for you for the past two hours! I thought you got hurt or killed! Of course I'm freaking mad over this!"

"You do realize it's 2008, right? Where the hell was I supposed to find a payphone?"

"I don't care! You should have done something, anything just to let me know that you were going to be late so I didn't worry like crazy!"

"Fine, next time I'll wish one into existence! Now can we fucking drop this? It's been a long enough day as it is without getting into a fight with you."

"No, I'm not going to drop it! Why was it so hard to call me?"

"I didn't have a phone!" He repeated, getting angrier.

"You could have called before you left!"

"I was late because of traffic. I don't have superpowers, should I have guessed that everyone was leaving the city for the weekend?"

"This is the second time you did this! Do you honestly not give a damn over me worrying like crazy about your safety?"

"Trust me, if I die, someone will let you know!" He snapped back, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Oh, great, Jess, thank you. I'll be informed of your death. That's exactly what I'm asking for here!"

"What are you asking for?"

"Let me know next time!" She sighed, frustrated and angry.

"And again I point out, how the fuck was I supposed to let you know? Telepathy?"

"No, you could have called me before you left telling me you got stuck at work and you might be late!"

"How about from now on you just assume I might be late every time and I don't have to call! Hey, it's equally ridiculous, so why not go that way?"

"How is what I asked for ridiculous?" Rory huffed, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

"I thought I was going to be here on time. You're only mad at me because I forgot my phone and you couldn't reach me."

"And I shouldn't be angry about that? I thought you were dead." She yelled the last few words louder, accentuating every one of them.

"I was late. It doesn't have to be a massive tragedy. I can't believe we're fighting over this!"

"We're only fighting because you don't give a damn about how I feel!"

"Oh, freaking nice, Rory."

"What else am I supposed to think?"

"Know what? Think whatever you want. We can talk when you're rational."

Turning around, he started walking towards the front door.

"Go to hell!" She yelled but he was out before she managed to finish her sentence, slamming the door behind him.


	43. Runs in the family

**A/N: I am now convinced mothers have superpowers. Mine can drive me crazy from 1500 miles away. Impressive, ain't it? Merry Almost Christmas everyone(or Merry/Happy whatever you're celebrating. I'm more of a Festivus gal). And thank you for the reviews.**

**

* * *

**

**Runs in the family**

An hour or so later, Rory walked to the old bridge, finding Jess sitting there, his feet dangling over the edge. Hearing her footsteps, he turned around and she smiled.

"I was hoping you'd be here."

"It's not like I have that many places to go, unless I felt the overwhelming urge to drive back to Philly."

Extending her hand she offered him the cup of take-away coffee she was holding.

"Peace offering."

"You must have me confused for you if you think coffee's the way to go." He smirked, looking at her.

"Well, I would have brought you flowers but this is Stars Hollow and everything is closed so the only option I had was stealing some from Taylor's garden. Now don't get me wrong, I would have done it, but he probably has the place bugged and wired and I would rather not spend the rest of my life in jail, because he's enough of a Grinch to turn me into the modern, female version of Jean Valjean. And I honestly have no idea where to get an olive branch."

"Come here." He motioned with his head, still smirking and she hurried to him, sitting down on the bridge, putting her legs over his and hugging him from the side, placing the cup of coffee down next to them while he draped one arm over her shoulders, keeping her close to him.

"I'm so sorry, Jess. I just went completely mental and I really have no idea what was wrong with me. I was angry with grandma and worried sick about you and I really didn't want us to get into the world's stupidest fight but I snapped and I'm sorry, did I mention that? Because I really am. Very, very sorry."

Chuckling, he pulled her even closer, kissing the top of her head. "Yeah, I got that."

"You sure? I don't think I made it obvious enough." She lifted her head, laughing as well.

"I should have called." He admitted, shrugging. "Before I left or something."

"You didn't have a phone. I shouldn't have overreacted."

Cupping her face in his hand, he wiped her cheek with his thumb. "You've been crying."

"I was terrified that something might have happened to you. I…don't know what I'd do. And then I was just angry."

"You'd deal, that's what you'd do. There's no need to pull a Juliet."

"We're being morbid. I don't want to think about that." She snuggled closer, looking at him. "Are we ok?"

"We're ok." Leaning in, he kissed her softly while she tightened her grip on him.

"I love you."

"I don't know why you'd think I want to know that, seeing how I'm some bastard that doesn't care…"

"Oh, shut up." Rory laughed, kissing him again.

"Love you too." He smiled again, serious for a second. "And I'm sorry you were worried about me. I'm not used to this 'having someone wait for me' thing. It might take a while before I remember to call if I'm going to be late and stuff like that."

"What about Matt and Chris?"

"They're nice guys, but if I don't come home, then it's 'he got lucky', not 'he's dead'. I doubt they'd start crying if I was late."

"This whole 'getting lucky' thing better not have happened in the last year." She pointed her finger at him, smiling.

"I don't know, I can recall a few occasions when it did." Jess smirked, kissing her again.

"With someone other than me?"

"Yeah, obviously." He replied sarcastically. "Next I'm going to hear that you're actually worried about me cheating on you as well."

"I already know about your other girlfriend, I assume you'd tell me if you found someone else." Rory replied, laughing and then kissed him.

"Didn't I tell you already? Damn, must have slipped my mind." Dropping his arm down to circle her waist, he finally noticed that she wasn't wearing a coat. "You thought freezing to death would make this better somehow?"

"I wasn't thinking. I ran over here when I realized what an idiot I'd been." Picking up the cup of coffee, she lifted it in the air. "After grabbing this. And keep in mind that this is the last cup of coffee, so that should tell you something."

"You can always make more."

"I don't want to mess up the coffee machine in the diner. Mom would kill me."

"Probably." Standing up, he took off his leather jacket and handed it to her. "Here."

"So you can freeze to death?" She smiled, looking up at him.

"We're going back to the diner. Take it or I leave it here. And I'd hate to lose it."

Standing up, Rory put the jacket on, wrapping an arm around his waist, trying to keep him warm as well while they started walking towards the diner.

"Thank you."

"Looks good on you." He smirked and she looked down, finally realizing something.

"Jess, this is the same one you had years ago."

"Found it yesterday. I was trying to pack things I don't need, getting them ready for our move and I dug this old thing out. Figured you'd like it."

"I always wanted to wear it around when we were in high school." She admitted, biting her lip.

"Why didn't you ask?"

"Didn't want to make you mad."

"Ror, I would have given you anything you would have asked for. Still would, actually." He smiled and she rested her head on his shoulder, smiling as well. "And bag boy's face would have been priceless if he had seen you wearing this while you were with him." He kissed the top of her head, chuckling.

"It's really warm."

"I'll tell you its story one day."

"Tonight?" She looked at him, smiling.

"Maybe. We'll see how it goes."

"How what goes?"

"I believe I have a promise of being allowed to distract you all I want tonight." He whispered in her ear, grinning. "And isn't make-up sex the best thing about fights?" Blushing, Rory suddenly became very interested in the sleeve of the jacket, making him chuckle again.

"Something fascinating about that?" He pulled her a bit closer to him and she bit her lip.

"I was just…"

"Yeah, I know." Jess nodded, smirking.

"You've been packing?" She realized, looking at him and he nodded.

"Thought I might as well do something while you were here."

"Are you going to unpack now? Did I mess things up by going crazy on you? Oh, God, you've changed your mind after that and now you don't want to live with someone that just goes mental like…"

Cutting her off with a kiss, Jess chuckled, slipping his hands under the jacket and pulling her to him. "It was a fight."

"A stupid fight."

"Whatever." He smirked, kissing her again. "It wasn't the first fight we had and I'm willing to bet it's not going to be the last one either. Doesn't change anything."

Lifting her arms and circling his neck, Rory smiled, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "Actually, that's the last time I plan on fighting with you. Tried it, didn't like it, sorry."

"How's that going to work?"

"Not sure yet, but I'll think of something." She announced victoriously and kissed him one more time before letting go of his neck and starting to walk back towards the diner. Unlocking the door, they walked inside the dark room, not bothering to turn on the lights.

"Coffee? Or do we just go for making this fight officially over?" Rory smiled, taking his hands in hers and attacking his mouth, starting to walk towards the curtain.

"I like option number two."

"Yeah, figured as much." She laughed as Jess started trailing kisses down her neck, smirking.

* * *

A while later, upstairs in the apartment, they were lying in bed. Slipping his hand under Rory's shirt, his fingers running across her stomach, Jess smirked, kissing her shoulder.

"You're not sleeping."

"Neither are you." She answered, opening her eyes.

"No kidding, Sherlock." He kissed her shoulder again, making her smile. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Just thinking, that's all. Go to sleep, it's nothing." She repeated, biting her lip.

"Uh-huh."

"What, you don't believe me?" Rory laughed, turning around to look at him.

"Last time you were just thinking in the middle of the night we wound up hypothetically discussing eloping. I'm not taking any chances or I might wake up to you deciding we're going to buy a pony."

"No ponies." She chuckled again, kissing him. "I told mom about that Wednesday night, by the way."

"How'd she take it?"

"Well, she thought she was having a heart attack, so I'd say well."

"Fantastic. She's going to kill me when she sees me tomorrow, isn't she?"

"No." Rory shook her head. "That was when she thought we were engaged and I hadn't told her as soon as it had happened. I explained, we talked, all's well. No killing of you will happen."

"Good to know." Jess laid back and she snuggled close to him, resting her head on his chest. "So is this what was keeping you awake?"

"Nope. Grandma."

"Right." He sighed, hugging her closer to him. "Ready to tell me about that one then? Because I already paid for it tonight."

"She went crazy. Brought up Logan, all the usual crap. I'm so tired of having to defend you and her not understanding that I don't care what she thinks and definitely don't want to hear about it. We both went crazy tonight. Mom can tell you all about it tomorrow. It will give her time to work on her impressions of us."

"Seriously?"

"Luke was very amused."

"Genetics say I'm in deep trouble." He laughed and she looked up at him, smiling as well.

"Which one of them are you comparing me to? And I'd watch that answer if you ever want to see me naked again."

Cupping her face in his hand, Jess pulled her in for a kiss, smirking. "Both. Some traits just run in your crazy family."

"Spoke the sane one." Rory laughed again, moving back to her place. "She's still coming to my party tomorrow night."

"Don't worry, I'm sure I can find some way to avoid her the entire night."

"This isn't about that. I just…wish she'd get it. That I or mom or grandpa would get to her and she'd realize that she has to stop this and get over it."

"She won't. You're all stubborn."

"And that's ok with you? Being with me even though she hates you?"

"Rory, we don't see her that much. She can hate me from a distance all she wants. I can put up with her once in a while."

"Thank you."

"Hey, the good parts definitely outweigh the bad ones."

"Even when I go insane and we end up fighting because of her?"

"Fighting has its perks as well." Jess smirked, kissing the top of her head again.

"What would you have done if I hadn't come to find you?"

"I was debating between coming here to see if you were calm or waiting until you fell asleep and just sneaking in and taking the other bed. Creepy, yes, but beats sleeping on the bridge."

"You were going to be my own stalker. I've always wanted one of those."

"No, I just didn't have that many options. I could have always snuck in your house, but trying to explain to Lorelai what I was doing there if she found me would have been far more interesting than trying to explain it to you."

"My room is party central. You'd have hurt yourself trying to get to the bed."

"Or given up and slept on the floor."

"Always a valid choice." Rory smiled, propping herself up with one arm and kissing him quickly. "Oh, tell me about the jacket!" She remembered, excited, making him chuckle.

"It's nothing that good of a story."

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" She begged, placing quick kisses on his chin and lips, making him laugh again.

"That jacket is the reason I got my first real job. My usual tricks were good for paying for books, but not that. Had to lie about my age and I worked for three months to afford it. Fun times." Jess made a face and she kissed him again, her fingers running through his hair. "Also my first real Christmas present from someone that wasn't Luke. Liz tried once, but I wound up getting one of those plastic trains. Broken."

"I'm sorry." She turned serious again, looking into his eyes.

"It's fine. Long time ago."

"She's a…no, I have no words." She bit her lip and he cupped her face in his hand.

"It really is ok."

"You know I'd trade lives with you, if I could, right? I'd give up mom, grandpa, Stars Hollow, everything if it would mean that you would have had a better childhood."

Pulling her in for a kiss, Jess pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling softly.

"Thank you."

"I mean it, Jess. And I am trying to make you as happy as I can because it's the only thing I can actually do. But give me a magic wand and…"

"Thank you." He whispered again and she kissed him, trying to choke back tears. "You know, walking naked around the house would help in this happiness thing." He cocked an eyebrow, hoping to lighten the mood and she laughed, kissing him again.

"Don't push it."

"What, I'm just saying…"

"Go to sleep, you must be very tired if you're this delirious."

"Nope. You first."

"Seriously?"

"What part of I'm not taking any chances confused you? I don't want to give you a chance to decide we need a pony, an airplane, a dinosaur to brighten our living room or all of the above."

"Where would we even get a dinosaur?"

"See? This is what I don't need. Sleep." He placed a soft kiss on her lips and she nodded, turning around. Following her, Jess wrapped his arm around her in the small bed, pulling the blanket higher up her body and kissed her shoulder. Pulling his hand from under her shirt, Rory smiled.

"Hands on top of clothes, mister."

"Seriously?"

"Luke's apartment. No way."

"Isn't it too late to worry about that one?" Jess smirked, but put his hand on top of her shirt, pulling her closer to him.

"Momentary lapse in judgment. Sleep well." She intertwined her fingers through his, smiling and he shook his head, trying not to laugh.

"Night, Ror." After a few seconds, he kissed her shoulder again. "I love you."

Squeezing his hand, she smiled, closing her eyes. "Love you too."


	44. Too little, too late

**A/N: Have a great 2010, everyone! Thank you for the reviews, you keep my going :).**

**

* * *

**

**Too little, too late**

Saturday morning, Rory walked downstairs in the diner, finding her mother already there, having breakfast. Sitting down on the barstool next to hers, she smiled.

"Morning."

"Hey." Lorelai smiled, drinking from her coffee cup. "Did the hoodlum get here ok last night?"

"Oh, yeah, he did." Rory looked at Luke, who had just dropped an empty cup in front of her and was getting ready to fill it. "Luke, can I also get breakfast? Omelet, bacon, toast, all that times two. And another cup of coffee."

"Jess is dragging his butt downstairs at breakfast time?" Lorelai asked, looking surprised.

"No. I want to bring it up to him."

"Ok, why are you the one getting him breakfast in bed?" Looking at her husband, Lorelai sighed. "Luke, is there such a thing as a maternity test? Because I'm not so sure anymore she's my child."

"We got into a fight last night, which was mostly my fault. I'm trying to make up for it." Rory clarified.

"With breakfast in bed? Nice. Luke, can we fight so I can get breakfast in bed tomorrow?" She looked after the man again and he shook his head, leaning over and kissing her quickly.

"No."

"You're doing an awful job at spoiling your wife rotten, just so you know." She grinned again.

"I've already made my wife breakfast. Now can I go work?"

"Sure, fine, whatever!" Sighing, she turned to look at her daughter again. "So what happened?"

"I got mad at him for being late and not picking up his phone and decided to be completely irrational. Yelling was involved. It was fun." She made a face, remembering the night before.

"I'm sorry, hon. Everything alright now?"

"Yeah. And, I don't know, even though I hated fighting with him, it's nice knowing we can actually fight like normal people, none of that horribleness from high school. Although really, not being in a fight is even better."

"Yeah, I'm sure you had fun getting over said fight."

"You're disgusting."

"I try." Lorelai grinned. "But I think you had the right to be slightly angry with him for being late."

"Yeah, I did, and he apologized for that one. But I was mad at him for not picking up his phone, even though he didn't have it with him. Hence the irrational."

"Ok, that makes sense." Picking up the last bits of her pancakes from her plate, Lorelai finished eating quickly, looking at her watch. "I have to go, your party won't get itself ready."

"I can come help."

"Still don't get it, do you? God knows I've tried to explain it. You don't help on your birthday!"

"Technically, it's not my birthday."

"Yeah, well, you were away on your birthday. Stupid job. Thank goodness it's over."

"We all agree on that one."

Luke dropped the two plates on the counter, making Rory smile gratefully. "Thanks, Luke."

"You're welcome. You leaving?" He looked at his wife, who was digging through her purse for her cell phone.

"Yeah, I have to drop by Sookie's first and see how the food is going. Coffee to go, please."

"Go one day without coffee."

"No." She smiled as she took the take-away cup he handed her, then leaned over the counter and kissed him. "I love you."

"Addict." The man smiled before returning to the kitchen.

"I'm off." She announced, looking at her daughter. "I'll see you tonight."

"You sure I can't help?"

"What's that?" Lorelai looked confused, starting to head for the door. "I can't understand you. You couldn't possibly be offering to help me again, because I've been explaining that rule to you since you were 2."

"Bye, mom." Rory smiled, waving at her mother before taking her plates and heading up the stairs again.

* * *

A while later, her and Jess were walking down the street, on their way to the book shop, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Books! I get to buy books! I haven't bought books, not really bought books anyway in almost a year."

"I don't think we have enough shelves for this." He smirked, trying not to laugh at her childish enthusiasm.

"We'll stack them on the floor then. I get to buy books!" She grinned happily again, kissing his cheek.

"Really? Why didn't you mention it before?" He asked sarcastically, making her snicker.

"I have a list. Make fun of me at your own risk. I'd kick you out of the house just to have room for my books."

"I don't think books can do what I can." He leaned over, nuzzling her neck.

"I'd still keep you around for that. Just live with the books."

"We're going to have to move in a year because we'll run out of room, won't we?"

"Our combined book habit is dangerous."

Jess tried to answer but saw someone standing a few feet away from them on the sidewalk, waiting for them to get closer.

"Fuck." The word escaped his lips and Rory looked at him, suddenly concerned.

"What's wrong?"

Pointing with his head in the direction of the person, he sighed. "It would be too obvious if we turned around now, right?"

"Probably. Not that I care." Rory kissed his cheek again. "We can turn around if you want to."

"Fuck it, I have to do this at some point." He grumbled, tightening his hold on her and she did the same as they reached the blonde woman. "Hey, Liz."

"Hey." The woman smiled at them, but neither returned her smile. "How are you?"

"Great." Jess almost hissed, trying not to get annoyed.

"I haven't heard from you in a long time." She sighed sadly and he nodded, not sure of how to answer. "I…can we talk somewhere?"

"What do you want from me, Liz?"

"Talk. See you. We were doing so well before last time."

"What definition of 'well' are you using here?"

Moving closer to him, Rory put her hand over his, trying to calm him down.

"Jess, what do you want from me? What can I do to fix this? I've been trying to call you for the past year, but you won't pick up your phone. I've talked to Luke, Lorelai…I'm running out of options here. Give me a chance to apologize before you shut me out of your life completely."

Looking from her to Rory, Jess took a deep breath before addressing Liz again. "Go to Weston's, I'll meet you there in a couple of minutes."

"Ok." She nodded quickly, leaving them alone again. Pulling Rory to him, he cupped her face in his free hand, the other one still holding her.

"I'll meet you at Andrew's."

"Jess, I..."

"I have to do this by myself, ok? I won't be long."

She nodded quickly, lowering her eyes and he kissed her forehead, his fingers playing in her hair. "It's fine. Quick cup of coffee then I'll come meet you." He tried to reassure her and she bit her lip, looking up at him again.

"Fine." Rory sighed, kissing him. "I love you." She whispered, making him smile.

"I know. Go buy your books, I'll be done in ten minutes."

"You haven't seen my list if you think ten minutes is going to be enough." She smiled as well, kissing him one more time.

"Well then go get started on your list. Just don't buy the entire shop, I need room to sleep, please."

"I'll try to stop myself. I'd rather share a bed with you."

* * *

Almost ten minutes later, Jess walked into the bookshop, finding Rory standing in front of one of the shelves in the back, leafing through a book. Smirking when he saw the title, he leaned closer to her, kissing her neck.

"All at once we were madly, clumsily, shamelessly, agonizingly in love with each other." He whispered in her ear, making her smile.

"Do you have every book ever written memorized?"

"Nope." He shook his head, kissing her neck again. Turning around, Rory looked at him, a concerned look in her eyes.

"How did it go?"

"She apologized. For everything."

* * *

_In Weston's_

_Picking up a cup of coffee, Jess sat down at the table in front of Liz, his face cold and emotionless. Smiling, she looked at him._

"_You look good. Are you good? Is everything alright?"_

"_Everything's fine." He replied, waiting for her to get to the point. When she didn't say anything more for a few seconds he took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair. "What do you want, Liz? I don't have all day."_

"_I just…I'm so sorry, Jess. I was stupid and wasn't thinking of anyone but myself."_

"_No kidding."_

"_I don't know if you can forgive me, but you should know that not a day goes by when I don't wish I could go back and be a better mother to you. I did a lot of bad things, I gave up to soon, I just…I didn't know what to do. And you got caught in my mess and I am so sorry for that, you have no idea."_

"_Oh, well, that's just what I wanted to hear. Everything's better now. Can I fucking go?" He snapped, his fists clenching under the table. _

"_I'm not hoping everything will be fixed today but…give me a chance. I am trying so hard and I love you, you have to know that."_

"_Did you ever regret having me?"_

"_No."_

"_Bullshit." He snapped again. "Sorry, try again."_

"_Why won't you believe me?"_

"_Because you think that just because you're sober now and you have your perfect little Stepford life, I should forgive you. You haven't changed, Liz. This is just the no-alcohol Barbie version of you."_

"_Jess, I…"_

"_Nope. I can tell you at least five separate times when you told me you wished I hadn't been born. And that's just off the top of my head. Now, ok, you were drunk out of your mind, but aren't drunk people supposed to be honest? That's why you should stay away from phones and other people, so you don't end up telling someone something they shouldn't know."_

"_I was stupid."_

"_No, stupid doesn't even cover it. At least Jimmy had the decency to leave when he realized he didn't want me." _

"_I always wanted you."_

"_Oh, fuck off, Liz." He hissed under his breath, trying to stay quiet._

"_I made mistakes and yes, you have every right to tell me I was a horrible mother, but I always loved you."_

"_What a great way of showing it you had. You lost your last chance when you sent me here."_

"_I was trying to do what I thought was best for you."_

"_You took me away from everything I knew. And while in the long run, it ended up being for the best, it took a lot of work to make it that way. And you had nothing to do with how things ended up." _

"_I know. You're stronger than I am. You managed to pull yourself together way before I did."_

"_And not almost completely ruin someone else's life in the process. If you're that great of a person now, where the hell where you 5 years ago when I was in New York, fucking my life away?"_

"_I thought you were doing well. That's what you'd tell me every time we'd talk."_

"_You never actually cared enough to actually get off your ass and come see what my life was like, did you? Luke had to be the one that came and dragged me to your fucking joke of a wedding. What, I didn't fit in your perfect life? Now that I'm doing something and managed to pull myself together, with no help from you, it's fine, you want forgiveness, I can go back to being your son?" _

"_Jess, it was never like that. Ever. I thought I was doing what you wanted me to do by leaving you alone. I'm sorry." _

"_Too little, too fucking late." He hissed, getting up and throwing a couple of bills on the table, walking out of the coffee shop._

_

* * *

_

"And that's pretty much what happened." He finished telling Rory about it and she crushed her mouth to his, kissing him until they were both out of breath.

"Can I resume my hatred of her now?"

"Sure." He nodded, smirking.

"I'm just…so angry at her." She whispered, kissing him again. "And I love you. So, so much." Her hands clutching his shirt tightly, she smiled, pulling him to her. "Want to go somewhere else?"

"Get your books, I'm fine." Jess shook his head, kissing her. Pointing to the book she had abandoned on the shelf, he smirked. "Not _Lolita_ though. I have that one."

"We're sharing books now?"

"We're sharing everything else, why not books as well?"

"I love you." She smiled again, kissing him.

"I don't know, now that I know you haven't read _Lolita_, I might feel differently about you."

"I've read it, I just never had a copy, I guess. Not sure why." Leaning over to him, she kissed a trail from his lips to his ear, smiling. "It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight."

"Go buy your books." He smiled again, his hand letting go of her.

* * *

Later that night, at Rory's party.

Walking into the kitchen and seeing her standing alone, pouting in front of the empty coffee machine, Jess smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, kissing her shoulder quickly.

"It's a party, you're supposed to be getting drunk, not having coffee."

"I'm working on that. But I haven't had coffee in about 6 hours now."

"Withdrawal?"

"Terrible." She laughed, turning around and kissing him, after checking that no one was around. "Where are you hiding?"

"In your room. Reading."

"Nerd."

"You love me for it." He pointed out, kissing her again before pulling back when he heard someone's footsteps coming into the room.

"You guys realize the party's in the other room, right?" Lorelai laughed, picking up a new pitcher of drinks from the fridge.

"I'm coming in a minute."

"Hurry up, the grandparents just arrived and I am not fending them off by myself."

"Coming." Rory smiled at her mother, then turned around, squeezing Jess' hand. "I'll go talk to them, you go hide again."

"And have your grandmother think I'm not here? Nope." He shook his head, taking her hand and starting to walk towards the living room. As they reached her grandparents, Jess let go of her hand and she hugged her grandfather quickly, smiling.

"Hey, grandpa. Grandma." Her smiled faded as she looked at the woman who nodded politely at the two of them.

"Rory. Jess."

"Thank you so much for coming."

"We wouldn't have missed your…what is this called again?" Richard asked, trying to remember.

"Birthday plus a month plus a week party." Rory laughed, her hand squeezing Jess's.

"Your mother's idea?"

"Why, yes, it was." Lorelai announced, dropping in on the four. "Guys, Miss Patty and Babette are asking about Rory. Can I steal her for a second?"

Shooting Lorelai a look, Jess sighed, making Rory smile before shaking her head, looking at her mother. "Tell them I'll be over in a minute."

"Ok." Lorelai nodded, leaving again.

"How are you? Emily told me you're moving in together."

"Yeah, we are." Rory confirmed, smiling at her grandfather. "A week from today. Our apartment is so great. You should come see it if you're ever in Philly, grandpa."

"We'll see what I can do. But first I want to know about everything that's been going on in the last year. Including this thing I hear about you going for an interview at the _Philadelphia Inquirer._"

"Give me a second to go say hello and then I'll be back and we can talk." Looking at Jess, she smiled. "I think they might want to see him as well. We'll be right back." Starting to walk towards the fireplace, where Patty and Babette were waiting for them Rory grinned, leaning closer to Jess' ear. "Run outside now."

"I love you." He smirked, kissing her cheek before heading for the front door.

"Where did Jess go, doll?" Babette asked and Rory smiled, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Oh, we need more ice."

Some time later, Lorelai walked to the back porch, finding Jess standing there, a bottle of beer in his hand, trying to open it against the wooden railing.

"Well, this is familiar. Déjà vu, anyone?"

"You're not here to bust me again, are you?" He smirked, leaning against the railing.

"You're a grown up, you're legal, no busting."

"Good to know."

"I heard you and Liz had a talk today."

"How?"

"Jess, this is Stars Hollow. You must have known that the second you walked into Weston's, half the town was going to know."

"Figures." He closed off again, his smirk fading away.

"Now Jenny, the waitress, didn't catch what was going on, so no one knows for sure. But we have a pretty good idea." Lorelai leaned against the railing as well, standing next to him, smiling softly. "She tried to talk to me, you know?"

"She mentioned."

"I didn't let her. We're friends, but what you and her do is your business."

"I appreciate it. Can we drop it?"

"Oh, no, that would be too easy." Lorelai grinned, drinking from her bottle. "I don't know what happened between you or what she did, and Rory won't say anything, which is fair because it's not her thing, but I just…I think you should give her a chance."

"God, do you have a thing for butting in my life?" He snapped at her, frustrated.

"No, Jess, this is just me offering you the one perspective you don't have, that of a mother. Yes, she made mistakes. A lot of them probably and some of them were pretty awful, I guess. I wasn't impressed of her sending you here, to say the least. Or how she handled that entire situation."

"You have a point?"

"Sometimes people fail, Jess. And I know I have no right to tell you how to feel, but I was young and with a small kid once and I know how easy it is to make the wrong choices. I was so lucky, I had an entire town to help me raise Rory, but she didn't. And I could have ended up the exact same way, if that bus had dropped me somewhere other than Stars Hollow. But her mistakes don't mean she didn't love you or wanted to hurt you. It just…happened and it was unfair to you but she' trying to do good now and if you cut her out of your life completely you might regret it someday."

"No, I don't think I will."

"The longer you shut her out, the harder it will be to start anything again if you ever change your mind. I don't know, you might have kids someday, and I'm not necessarily implying that this should happen with my kid just that it could happen, and then you'll have to explain to them why they don't have a relationship with their grandmother? And you're going to miss your sister growing up and so many other things…She's trying, Jess. Give her a chance."

"Is she bribing you?"

"No. No one sent me here, Rory doesn't know I'm here, Luke doesn't know. He's staying out and letting you figure this out by yourselves. But I had to tell you that. And now I have, so I'm going to go back inside and eat my weight in Sookie's bacon and cheese cracker thingies and leave you alone. You should come inside, though. It's not that bad."

"I'll think about it." He sighed, looking at her and she nodded.

"Thanks."

"I'm not saying that..."

"Thinking about it is a start." Lorelai smiled again, ruffling her hair before heading back inside the house.


	45. Jerks, books and forgiveness

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter. **

**

* * *

**

**Jerks, books and forgiveness**

Later Saturday night, after the party, Rory sighed, opening her eyes and propping herself up in the small bed on one arm, the other one resting on Jess' chest.

"You're not sleeping."

"I didn't mean to wake you." He looked at her, lifting her hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss on her palm.

"Doesn't matter. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just thinking."

Running her hand through his hair, Rory leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his temple. "Still angry with Liz?"

"Nope. Just…feeling like a bastard."

"Why?"

"What I said today…uncalled for. I was trying to make her feel like shit and I ended up being a jerk."

"It wasn't completely uncalled for."

"She tried to apologize and I told her to fuck off."

"Ok, maybe it was." Rory smiled, kissing his temple again. "But you know what the best thing about people, especially people that love you is? They forgive you."

"Yeah, but that means I have to apologize. And that's the thing I suck at." He admitted, looking at her.

"You don't have to be good at it, just mean it."

"Suppose so." He grumbled, lifting his head and kissing her quickly while she lowered her hand, sneaking it under his t-shirt, her fingers running over his abdomen slowly.

"Do whatever feels right to you."

"Yeah, that's the part I'm still thinking about."

"Well, don't think so much that you go all smart on me. I'm only keeping you for your good looks after all." She smiled, trying to make him feel better.

"Or because I agree to your completely unfair double standards?"

"What?" She looked at him surprised and Jess smirked.

"I'm not allowed to do anything because we're in Luke's apartment, but you seem to have no problems feeling me up." He looked down at her hand that was still under his shirt, trying not to chuckle. "Really, Miss Gilmore. What would Luke say?"

"He'd have a heart attack."

"Good thing he's not here then, huh?" Moving closer to her, he started placing kisses on her neck. "You know, you could distract me from all this thinking. Make sure I don't sprain my brain or something."

"If it's for the greater good…" Trailing off, she kissed him again as his hand found its way under her shirt as well.

* * *

The next morning, Rory walked downstairs in the diner, finding her mother there, having breakfast. Sitting down at her table, she smiled.

"Morning."

"Well you're being lazy today." Lorelai remarked, looking at her watch. "Too much drinking last night?"

"Nope. Jess and I were just up late after the party."

"Does this require a dirty or not?"

"No." Rory shook her head, trying not to blush. "Talking."

"Liz?"

"Yeah." She confirmed as Luke dropped a mug on the table.

"What did my sister do this time?" He asked, trying not to get angry and Rory shook her head again.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it. Everything is under control."

"Good. Is Jess ever coming downstairs?"

"No, he's not." Jess announced from behind him, smirking, then sat down next to Rory, waving at Lorelai quickly.

"Morning, hoodlum."

"You're back to calling me that?"

"It's a term of endearment, really. Thug wouldn't be. Hoodlum is."

"What am I missing?"

"Grandma called you a thug Friday night."

"She does love me." He replied sarcastically as Luke pulled out his pad.

"Food?"

"Pancakes, bacon, more pancakes…mom, what else?"

"Let's see…even more pancakes?"

"Sounds about right." Rory grinned, looking at Luke. "Plain and chocolate chip."

"Got it. Jess?"

"Just coffee."

"But if you don't get food then I won't be able to steal it off you!" Rory whined jokingly, making him shake his head.

"What do I want for breakfast?"

"Omelette and some pancakes as well, I think. That should be enough. Make sure you get the blueberry ones. Variety is what this country was built on!"

"Luke, got that down?"

"Yeah." The man confirmed, looking back at his wife. "Don't tell me you want more food as well."

"I could use something to eat. I've been waiting for so long, I may be fading. See if you can find some French toast you can spare for your adorable wife."

"I'm leaving before I go crazy and kill my adorable wife."

"Hey, as long as I'm adorable." Lorelai grinned before picking up her mug again as Luke headed for the counter. "By the way, I was thinking I can borrow Luke and his truck, since he won't let me drive it again…" She said the last few words louder, looking at Luke who was heading back to the table with a mug in one hand and the coffee pot in the other one. "…and come bring whatever boxes you want from my garage next Sunday. It could save you guys a few trips. She has a lot of stuff!" Grinning, she looked at Jess while pointing at Rory.

"Says the woman who owns a million pairs of shoes."

"Just 63, my dear."

"Why does one even need that many shoes?" Jess asked, confused, making her laugh.

"Who said anything about need? Want on the other hand…"

"Please tell me you don't have that many shoes." Jess looked at Rory and she smiled, kissing him quickly.

"Not even close. I'm waiting until she dies so I can inherit hers."

"Hey!" Lorelai protested, making Rory laugh.

"I'm sorry, I haven't had enough coffee yet. I'll select which boxes you should bring when I come get my car. And pack it within an inch of its life."

"Where is all this stuff going?" Jess inquired, squeezing her hand under the table.

"It's mostly books, don't worry."

"Then it's cool."

"I swear, you're both nerds." Lorelai sighed dramatically. "Thank goodness you remember some of my teachings. Hoodlum, do not undo everything. She's already refused my generous offer to come and make Luke help you guys paint the living room. I like my daughter like she is, there's no need to turn her into a movie-hating, only book-loving, healthy-eating, shopping…" She hemmed, not sure of what word to use. "…uh, never doing freak."

"I'm sorry, but I am not crazy enough to think I ever have a chance of making her eat healthy."

"Luke is trying it with me. I'm only allowed to get pizza twice a week!" Lorelai whined.

"Dreadful." Jess deadpanned, making Rory laugh before looking back at her mother.

"But pizza twice a week means more like 4 meals anyway, because you have leftovers and he cooks for you the rest of the time, doesn't he? And you're always here, so you can't say that he's taking junk food from you."

"I guess not."

"Food." Luke announced, dropping their plates on the table. "You're all going to be dead before you turn 50."

"See?" Lorelai pointed out when the man left again.

"Mom, he's always been like that."

"You'd think he'd be mellower with age. God knows I try."

* * *

Later that day, Rory and Jess were in Lorelai's garage and she was sorting through the boxes she still had from college. Looking at the label on a box, a marker in her hand, Rory sighed.

"Dishes?"

"Take 'em. I have no idea who owns the dishes in my place."

"I don't have any pots and pans, though. Maybe a couple."

"So adding that to the list of stuff to buy?"

"Yeah." Rory nodded, writing "BRING" on the side of the box. "That list is getting long."

"I know."

"When are we ever going to get everything done?"

"This week, next week…We're not buying anything before we move. I refuse to drag more stuff around than I have to."

"Jess, the entire reason I'm coming back today is to be able to buy stuff for our place this week."

"Really? Not to be with me?" He smirked, standing up and walking to her. Nuzzling her neck, he put his hands on her waist and she smiled.

"You're just an added benefit. How about if I walk around, finding stuff so it's easier when we actually go buy?"

"How about you do nothing but stay in bed all day, waiting for me to come upstairs? Naked preferably, you know, but if you want, I'm sure I can be convinced to not mind you wearing something ridiculously skimpy."

"When did we end up in one of your fantasies?" Rory pulled back, grinning before attacking his mouth.

"Hey, I can hope."

"If you're very good and let me shop and not mock my lists, I'll see what I can do about that…"

"Promise?" He cocked an eyebrow, going back to kissing her neck.

"It's dependant on you being good. Which includes sitting down and letting me finish sorting these boxes."

"Fine." Jess sighed, kissing her one more time before sitting back down on a box. "Did you pick a color for the living room?"

"Nope." She shook her head, checking the label of another box. "I'll get one of those paint swatch thingies this week and we can pick one together. Where does one even get one?"

"Hardware store?"

"And where do I find one of those?"

"I'll get you one. You can bug me with it for 2 hours."

"Thank you." Rory smiled, writing "NO" on the side of the box. "And a desk. Can I look for a desk for you or do you want to pick it yourself?"

"We can just go to IKEA. It's easy."

"But you need a nice desk."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. Don't fight with me over this."

"You're stubborn."

"I want you to be happy." She smiled, walking to him and kissing him quickly. "You should have a really nice desk, you're a writer."

"I'm more looking forward to the nice girl sitting in her chair next to my desk." Jess ran his hands down her legs, smirking and looking up at her.

"Maybe they sell those at IKEA too." Laughing, she kissed him again before heading back to her boxes. Looking at the label of the next box, Rory shook her head. "Oh, great, more books."

"You have a problem." Jess chuckled, shaking his head.

"We'll never have enough shelves for this." Rory sighed, ignoring him as she wrote "BRING" on this box as well.

* * *

A while later, after all the boxes were labeled and a few packed away in their cars, Rory walked outside as her mother was pulling in the driveway again.

"Boxes done. The ones marked bring…it's self-explanatory, really."

"You heading back?"

"I don't know." Rory looked back the garage and Lorelai smiled knowingly.

"I'll be in the kitchen, come find me once you know."

Walking to the garage and sitting on a box next to Jess, she looked at him. "Are we going back?"

"Not yet." He shook his head, making her smile.

"Good."

Standing up, Jess took a deep breath before extending his hand. "Come with me."

"You sure?"

"If nothing else, we'll both be better behaved if you're there." He shrugged, knowing she could see through his excuse and she stood up, placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"It'll be ok, I promise."

"It can't get any worse."

"Let me go get my coat from the house and tell mom we'll be right back and then we can go."

"Ok." He nodded, heading outside.

A few minutes later, they were standing in front of Liz's front door. Squeezing his hand, Rory kissed his shoulder quickly as he rang the doorbell. After a few minutes, TJ opened the front door, a frustrated look on his face.

"Hey." The man grumbled.

"Is Liz here?" Jess asked, not letting go of Rory's hand.

"What do you want with her?" He replied, his voice getting angrier. "You weren't enough of a dick yesterday to your mother?"

"I want to talk to her. This doesn't concern you."

"Listen, kid, if you're here to be a jerk again then you have no business being near her, got me?" Before anyone could say anything else, Liz's voice boomed from the house, getting closer to them.

"TJ, who is it? You're supposed to be getting Doula ready for her…" Seeing her son standing in front of the door, she crossed her arms around her chest.

"Can we talk?" Jess asked again, sighing.

"Sure." Liz nodded, kissing her husband's cheek. "Get Doula ready for her nap."

"I don't know, Liz."

"It'll be fine."

Glaring at Jess one more time, TJ left and she stepped aside. "Come in."

"Thanks." Jess mumbled quickly, walking inside and Rory followed. Walking to the living room, Liz pointed to the couch while she sat down in an armchair, not knowing what to say.

"Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, water, soda?"

"We don't have a lot of time, we have to get back to Philly tonight." Jess shook his head and Rory wrapped her fingers around his hand again, squeezing it reassuringly. "Listen, Liz…" He took a deep breath, looking at his mother. "I'm sorry. For yesterday. TJ is right, I was a jerk. I really shouldn't have said those things. And for shutting you out in the past few months. I haven't exactly been nice or fair."

"You have the right to be mad."

"Yeah, well, that won't change anything."

"I meant what I said…"

"I know." He cut her off, his scowl leaving his face. "It was a long time ago. It's ok."

"You mean that?"

"Yeah. I got my fair share of second chances, it's about time I stopped being a bastard about this." He nodded, making both Liz and Rory smile.

"Liz, she won't go to sleep." TJ walked back in the room, holding their toddler. "You're still here."

"It's ok, this way she gets to see her brother." Standing up and taking the toddler from her husband, Liz smiled, pointing at the younger couple on the couch. "Say hi, Doula."

"Hello." The little girl laughed, happy. "No nap!"

"Yes, nap." Liz shook her head, pointing to the bedroom. "I have to go fight with her, but I'll be right back. Or you can come with us, it won't take that long. Hopefully."

"We really have to get back." Jess replied, looking at the little girl. "I have to get to work early tomorrow and it's a long drive."

"Oh, ok." Liz tried to hide her disappointment while the little girl extended her arms, looking at the two people on the couch. "Hug!"

"No hugs, baby girl, we don't want to bother your brother and Rory. Sorry, she's hugging everyone lately. Sometimes I think it's the only word she knows."

"I wouldn't be bothered." Rory smiled, standing up. "Can I hold her for a bit?"

"Sure."

Picking up the toddler, Rory sat back down on the couch while the girl attached herself to her neck, grinning happily. "She's certainly not shy anymore."

"Definitely not." Liz laughed, sitting back down. "Tell me when she bugs you and I'll take her back."

"Don't worry about it." Rory smiled again as the girl pulled back and looked at Jess, her legs wobbly from trying to stand up on the couch.

"Hug!"

"I…uh…" He hesitated but the girl hugged him, not giving him a chance to reply. Not knowing how to act, he just put one hand on her back to keep her from falling, smiling uncomfortably. Letting go of him, Doula hugged Rory again, making everyone laugh.

"She really likes hugs, doesn't she?"

"Oh, God, yes."

"We should go." Rory smiled at Jess, standing up and handing the little girl back to her mother. Standing up as well, he nodded, looking at Liz.

"I'll give you a call sometime."

"Soon?"

"Yeah." He confirmed. "Let me know if you're ever near Philly with your fair, we'll get together. You can come see our place." He wrapped his arm around Rory's waist, making her smile.

"Definitely come. It'll give me an excuse to clean without him mocking me."

"One day, I'll wake up to her trying to vacuum me." Jess smirked.

"I'll be there. Soon." Liz smiled, nodding. After saying their goodbyes, the young couple walked outside again, heading for Lorelai and Luke's house.

"I'm proud of you." Rory smiled when they were far enough from the house, kissing his cheek. "You did great."

"You forgive people, right? That's what you said last night."

"Yeah." She nodded, kissing his cheek again.

"If she brings all that stuff up again…"

"I'll be right there, finding a new topic to talk about." Kissing his neck, she smiled, whispering in his ear. "And do my best to calm you down later."

"You know, I think I may be angry...maybe you should try to calm me down now." He smirked, kissing her as he draped his arm over her shoulders.

"Maybe you should wait until we're back at your place."

"But what if I get very, very stressed?"

"Don't push it." She kissed him, grinning. A few minutes later, they walked inside Lorelai's house again, Jess quickly detaching himself from her as they heard Lorelai yell "Kitchen!". Walking in the room, Rory smiled, picking up an empty cup and pouring some coffee in it.

"All's done. We're going to head back now."

"Wait!" Lorelai yelped, standing up and picking a nicely wrapped from Rory's room. "Housewarming present. For both of you."

"Mom, you're coming over next weekend. You could just give us this then."

"This is something that you need from the first second. Can't wait until Sunday."

"What's so essential that it can't wait?"

"Open it!" Lorelai grinned, clapping her hands excitedly. Quickly pulling apart the paper, Rory started laughing when she saw a picture of a coffee machine on the side. Putting the box down, she hugged her mother quickly. "Thanks."

"Use it."

"A coffee machine? In our house? Never going to be touched." Rory laughed, letting go of her mother.

"Thanks." Jess shrugged, a faint smile on his lips.

"Now that wasn't that hard, was it, hoodlum? Next, let's try a sentence."

"I'll go drop this in my car, I think there's some room left there." He smirked, picking up the box and heading outside.

"Sentence!" Lorelai yelped excitedly. "You can do it!"

"He does actually talk."

"Oh, I know, it was almost a conversation today at breakfast. But I have no new material that I can use."

"Ever think we maybe just talk too much for him to be able to get a word in the conversation?"

"No such thing, this can't be our fault, we're perfect."

"I like that."

"See if you can get him to agree to some girlish color for the living room. It would make my day."

"I'll do my best." Rory smiled, looking at the door. "I should get going, it's a long drive."

"Have fun moving in with your boyfriend. Away from me. Leaving me all alone here. Without my one and only daughter." Lorelai sighed, trying to sound dramatic.

"Last week, you were scared I was turning into Norman Bates. Now I'm abandoning you again."

"Well, I changed my mind. Norman Bates had some good parts."

"Mom…"

"I thought I'd stunted your emotional growth more than this!" Laughing, Lorelai hugged her daughter again. "Call a lot. I'll see you in a week."

"I'll call every day."

"Multiple times a day if something exciting happens."

"Promise." Rory smiled as they both headed for the door. Finding Jess leaning against the railing, she smiled at him. "Done. We can go."

"Ok." He nodded, heading for his car. After another quick hug, Rory got in her car as well as Lorelai waved them off from the porch.


	46. Moonlit rainbows

**A/N: I'm so sorry I'm late with this chapter but I had a million exams in the last 8 days. Or what seemed like a million, anyway. Thank you for the reviews, I hope you like this chapter and sorry again.**

**

* * *

**

**Moonlit rainbows**

Monday afternoon, Rory walked in Jess' bedroom, crashing on the bed. Looking over at her from his chair, he smirked.

"I was getting ready to call in a search party to find you."

"Sorry, I got distracted."

"Did you find everything?"

"I have options for everything, including the couch. I found a really cute furniture store today."

"What happened to IKEA?"

"You said that, I did not agree." She smiled, throwing a pillow at him. "How was work?"

"Long. Boring. I proposed a motion we only start working one day a week, but was shot down by Matt."

"My offer to help with anything still stands."

Taking the pillow with him, he sat down on the bed next to her, leaning down and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Relax for a while, will you? Enjoy being in-between jobs."

"I'm bored. I hate not doing anything."

"Want me to take some time off this week and keep you company?" He cocked an eyebrow, lying down and kissing her shoulder.

"Nope. Remember me being your conscience? No skipping work on my watch unless you're sick or have something else important to do."

"I think I may be coming down with something…" Jess coughed twice, making her snicker.

"Let me clarify that-so sick that you can't get out of bed."

"Trust me, we wouldn't be getting out of bed." He chuckled, kissing her shoulder again. "I got you a paint swatch."

"Seriously?"

"It's on the desk, give me a second." Standing up and picking up the swatch, he handed it to her. "Pick something, just not pink."

"What about red?"

"It would match my blood after I blow my brains out for having to look at it."

"Orange?"

"Red's bastard cousin? No." He shook his head again.

"You're not giving me much to work with."

"Take yellow out as well, it's too…sickly."

"Did you seriously just say that?"

"I don't like yellow rooms." He shrugged, lying down again. "Oh, and I don't care how nice of a color something is, I refuse to live in a room painted 'moonlit rainbow'."

"What's so bad about rainbows?" She laughed.

"It's a principle thing."

"Fine." Rory sighed dramatically, kissing him one more time before sitting up in bed, starting to look over colors. After a few minutes, she showed him the swatch, pointing at a color. "What about this one?"

"'Gentle fawn'? Here, Bambi, get on our walls." He deadpanned, making her laugh.

"I don't think that's the image they had in mind."

"Well, it's the image I'll have in mind every time I walk in our living room."

"So it's out."

"It was never in, it's too boring." He smirked, looking at her.

"Would you like to pick something? You seem to have an opinion on everything and it would be easier this way."

"No, I'm good." He chuckled, moving closer to her and kissing her hip. "Fuck, I'm so tired."

"Get some sleep, we can do this tomorrow." Rory ran her fingers through his hair, smiling down at him.

"It's more of an 'I need a day off' tired."

"We can postpone moving for a week. It would give you a chance to relax."

"I'm good. Long Thanksgiving weekend should do."

"You can stay home all weekend, if you want, not just for the holiday. I'll drive back Friday night or something."

"Don't worry about it. As long as we don't end up fighting again, I'll be ok. Are you sure you're fine with me spending Thanksgiving here?"

"Hey, it's your tradition."

"I wouldn't call it that."

"Whatever it is. Spend the day with Matt and Chris, do whatever it is you do then I'll see you on Friday."

"Braid each other's hair, paint our nails…that's what we do." He smirked, making her laugh.

"I'm going to ignore you now and focus on this." She lifted the swatch in the air, her other hand going back to playing in his hair.

"Fair enough." After a few minutes, she looked at him again, lowering the swatch, pointing to another color, hiding its name with her other hand.

"This one?"

"Name?"

"If I tell you, you'll just mock it again and then I'll think it's ridiculous and won't want it anymore."

"Peer pressure…what can you do? I don't like it anyway. Not enough to stare at it every day, anyway."

"Ok." She nodded. "Just for the record…'lunar falls'."

"Seriously? Who the fuck names these things?"

"Someone who thinks 'blue 22' would be too boring."

"Well, he or she should be shot. I bet they do this part time, after their real job writing cards for Hallmark."

"This one?" Rory pointed at another color. "Let's call it 'blue 42', shall we?"

"I think blue is out as well, it's too…something."

"Well, what can I say to such a compelling argument?"

"Nothing, really." Jess chuckled, kissing her hip again. "My logic is flawless."

"You're insane."

"Probably. What was the name of that one, anyway?"

"'Lost lake'." She snickered, shaking her head. "See, now I can't look at anything without mocking the name in my head."

"I'm a bad influence."

"You always were." She pointed out, smiling.

"Funny how that worked out. I got the girl in the end." He smirked and she moved down on the bed, kissing him.

"Like something out of a bad movie, really."

"Good thing it wasn't a musical, I have a terrible singing voice." Jess chuckled, kissing her again. "I love you." He whispered against her mouth, making her smile grow bigger.

"I love you too."

Placing another quick kiss on her lips, he pointed at the paint swatch in her hands. "Go on, pick something."

"Then stop shooting everything down, you're kind of making this hard."

"I have no intention of repainting any time soon, so this color has to stick for a while."

"Fine." Rory sighed, looking at the thing again. After a few more minutes, she pointed at another color, smiling, still hiding its name. "This?"

"Name?"

"Tell me what you think of the color first."

"I…like it."

"Enough to be able to look at it every day?"

"Think so." He nodded, kissing her.

"So we have a winner?"

"Yeah."

Crushing her mouth to his, she grinned, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"It's called 'watercolor green'."

"I can live with that."

"Not like you have much of a choice now, you've already said yes."

"I could throw a tantrum in the store until you change your mind. Or kill me."

"Or break up with you, that's always an option."

"Didn't I tell you you're not allowed to do that?" Jess smirked, kissing her again.

"Well, if I'm not allowed to…" She smiled, drawing out the word. "…I suppose I have to stay with you. Awful, really. Don't think I can do it."

"I'm sure you'll find a way."

"It will be a struggle." Sliding her hand under his shirt, she kissed the corner of his mouth, her fingers running across his skin. "So…how tired are you?"

"Not that tired."

* * *

Wednesday afternoon, Jess was standing in front of the printer, in Truncheon. Seeing Rory run down the stairs, he smirked and she wrapped her arms around his neck as soon as she got downstairs, a huge smile on her face.

"Win the lottery?" He asked, kissing her temple while she hugged him.

"They called!"

"Talent agency, you're going to be in a movie with Johnny Depp?" Matt laughed from his seat, watching the two.

"_The Inquirer_! I got the job!" She announced, crushing her mouth to Jess', still grinning.

"Oh, wow, congratulations!" Matt smiled.

"Congratulations." Jess whispered in her ear.

"Thank you." She finally let go of Jess, her hand still holding his. "I'll be on a temp basis for a month and then, if nothing goes wrong, I get the job officially. I start on Monday."

"That's soon."

"Newspapers are always understaffed around the holidays, they need someone to start as soon as possible. It's not like I'm doing anything better."

"And hey, this means you can spend Thanksgiving with us!" Matt pointed out, smiling and Rory turned around to look at him.

"Yes, it does." She nodded and Jess wrapped his arm around her waist from behind her, leaning closer to her ear.

"We'll go to Stars Hollow that weekend. It's ok."

"Thanks." She smiled, twisting her neck and kissing his cheek. "Ok, I'm going to let you guys get back to work now."

"We welcome your distractions!" Matt laughed. "Please come down more often before I kill your boyfriend. Chris isn't here to stop me."

"Where is he?"

"Meeting with a writer." Jess explained, kissing her shoulder.

"You still have to work. Anyone need anything? Coffee, a snack, something?"

"We can take care of ourselves."

"I'm making coffee anyway, it's no big deal."

"Then coffee, please." Matt smiled, looking at her. "And thank you."

"No problem. Jess?"

"Coffee sounds good." He nodded and she jerked her head in the direction of the stairs.

"I'll be back in a minute."

"Thank you!" Matt yelled again as she started going up.

* * *

The next evening, Jess walked upstairs, finding Rory on the couch, looking through the channels on the TV.

"Done." He sat down next to her, kissing her shoulder. "Finally."

"Chinese take-away tonight?" Rory smiled, ruffling his hair.

"Sounds good."

"I'll call them in a bit. Are you ever going to finish packing?" She smiled, kissing him.

"Tired. So, so tired." He pouted, making her laugh.

"Then let me do it."

"But it's my stuff."

"But I'm bored."

"I don't want you to pack my stuff because I'm lazy."

"I need to do something. I can put books in boxes."

"You definitely can't do books. I have a system."

"No, you don't." She countered, making him smirk.

"Hey, the fact that it no longer has any discernable rules does not make it any less of a system."

"It kind of does, I'm sorry."

"You're going to alphabetize me entire book collection after we move, won't you?"

"Maybe."

"They're arranged by genre and then author name. At least that's how it begun, then I started throwing books in random shelves and then stacks on the floor. Using the same filing system, but then it kind of evolved to just throwing them on whatever stack won't topple over if I add more books to it."

"And you defined that as a system?"

"I can find any book I want, at any time. Hence, it's a system." Jess chuckled and she shook her head, kissing him.

"Not according to standard definitions."

"Standard's too boring anyway." He countered again, kissing her.

"What about we compromise? We keep the system you have for the shelves and I make sure they're organized at all times?"

"What happens if I put a book in the wrong place? Does an angel weep?" He smirked again and she kissed him.

"No, but you get dish duty for a week."

"Welcome to the gulag. I'll never have any fun again, will I?"

"If I get my system maintained, I can make sure you have your fun. Kind of like Tuesday lunch break fun." She whispered against his mouth, then kissed him.

"Deal."

"You're easy to break."

"Promises of a repeat of the Tuesday fun will get you a lot of things." He slid his hand under her shirt, smirking when she pulled back, slapping it away from her.

"Must I point out that you still have roommates? Play nice."

"Never." Jess kissed her neck, still smirking.

"So, can I help you pack?"

"Can we get dinner first?"

"Order and then start on that?"

"Order, watch TV until it gets here and then get started on that?"

"There's nothing on." She pointed out, kissing him.

"The pop in a DVD."

"You'll never do any work tonight."

"Not if I can avoid it." He laughed, pulling her closer to him again.

"Dinner, movie and then packing. Final offer."

"Fine." Jess sighed dramatically, kissing her again. "Go pick a movie, I'll call for dinner."

"Shouldn't we ask Matt and Chris if they want something?"

"They're going out."

"Ok. Call for food, I'll try to find something to watch."

A few minutes later, Rory sat down on the couch, the movie starting to roll on the screen.

"We would have probably never gotten back together if it hadn't been for this TV." She whispered, her head resting on his shoulder. "And the universe conspiring for me to get the day off that exact weekend you were going to be there."

"Good thing the universe likes us then." He smiled, kissing the top of her head. "And we would have still seen each other at Luke and Lorelai's wedding."

"Oh, please, you would have left as soon as that was over if we hadn't already been dating. We would have avoided each other prior to the wedding, then maybe exchanged one or two lines at the reception. Not much of a chance for this…" She motioned between them, smiling. "…to happen."

"Or we could have gotten massively drunk and wound up in bed together."

"You think I'm the one night stand kind of girl?"

"Well, you did seduce me with that cheap zipper trick." He smirked, tightening his grip on her.

"Next you'll claim you fought it."

"I'm not one to say no when I'm asked for help with such problems. Just being chivalrous, really."

"Shut up." She laughed, kissing him. "I'm glad you were there and I was there and this is happening. I…I am so happy. And I love you so much."

"Don't go sappy on me now." He chuckled, pulling her in for another kiss.

"Not even a bit sappy?"

"Nope." Jess shook his head, smirking.

* * *

Friday night, after going for drinks with Matt and Chris, they were lying in bed, boxes and bags all around the room.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" Jess whispered, sliding closer to her and kissing her shoulder.

"How did you know I'm not sleeping?"

"You squirm in your sleep." He shrugged.

"Next you're going to admit you've been watching me sleep." Rory smiled, turning around to look at him.

"Maybe you just keep me awake with your squirming, did you look at it that way?" His hand moved to her waist, smirking as he placed a small kiss on her lips. "What's keeping you awake?"

"I'm excited."

"Tomorrow?"

Her smile growing bigger, she nodded. "I can't wait."

"Time goes by faster if you sleep." Jess chuckled, kissing her again.

"But what if I wake up tomorrow and this is all a dream and I'm back in some stupid hotel room without you?"

"You won't." He traced her bottom lip with his thumb, smiling softly. "Barring some shift in the space time continuum, we're moving in together tomorrow."

"You've been spending too much time with Matt."

"Well, good thing I'm moving away from him then, right?"

"Right." Rory agreed. "I'm just…so excited and happy and nervous, but a good nervous and can't wait for tomorrow to be here."

"That's because you don't know yet how annoying I am when you have to deal with me daily."

"Cooking makes up for your annoying habits."

"You're only actually moving in with me because I cook for you, right?"

"And make good coffee, don't forget." She smiled, squeezing his hand. "You happy?"

"Miserable." He smirked, kissing her. "Have no idea why I ever agreed to this."

"Sex on the kitchen table without giving your roommates a heart attack?" She lifted her head and whispered in his ear, making him swallow hard.

"Fuck, you're perfect." He whispered after a couple of seconds, attacking her mouth.

"Good to know." She teased him when he pulled back, placing quick kisses on his lips. "And that reminds me, we need to get a kitchen table as well."

Chuckling, he shook his head, running his fingers over her skin. "Move it to the top of your list."

"We're still going to look for furniture tomorrow, after we paint?"

"That's what we agreed on."

"And then moving the boxes over?"

"If we're done with the first bit by 2, Matt and Chris will have enough time to wake up."

"You know I'm waking you up at 8, right?"

"You know you have to let me sleep if you actually want to wake me up, right? And go to sleep as well, now that you mention it."

"But…"

"No more buts. Sleep." He smirked, pulling her closer. "Or I'll get other ideas and then you'll sleep in late tomorrow and it will be my fault for keeping you up and I'll get yelled at."

"What other ideas?" She smiled, kissing him and Jess quickly flipped them over, pinning her down.

"On second thought, being yelled at might be worth it…"


	47. Moving day

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, you guys rock. **

**

* * *

**

**Moving day**

Saturday morning, Rory walked in Jess' bedroom, holding two mugs in her hands. Putting them on the nightstand, she leaned over to Jess who was sitting up on the bed, waiting for her.

"Coffee. Now hurry up!"

"What a nice way of starting the day. Pull out your whip, will you?" He smirked, leaning over and kissing her. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yes. But I've been awake since 6 and my patience is wearing out right now."

"Seriously?"

"I'm excited." She shrugged, smiling as she kissed him.

"Am I at least allowed to shower?"

"You'll get dirty again anyway. Hurry!"

"Yes, ma'am." He smirked, pulling her in for another kiss before getting up from the bed, taking a mug with him. "What should I wear today?" He dragged out his words, looking at her over his shoulder.

"Don't forget to spend an hour doing your hair, that will make me go completely medieval on you."

"Now that you mention it, it does look a bit too messy…"

"You have ten minutes. I'm leaving without you if you're not ready."

"Can I at least grab breakfast before?"

"Breakfast's in the kitchen. I went to the place next door. See, I do take care of you!" She grinned proudly, making him chuckle.

"Yes, I feel very spoiled." He rolled his eyes, pulling a t-shirt on. "Go on, I'll meet you in the kitchen."

Walking to him and wrapping her arm around his waist from behind, Rory kissed his shoulder, smiling. "But I like watching you get dressed."

"Distracting me won't make me go any faster, I hope you realize that."

"Damn it." She kissed the back of his neck one last time before grabbing her mug from the nightstand and walking to the door. "I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

Not long after, Rory opened the door to their apartment, smiling as she walked in, her hand holding Jess' tightly.

"It actually is real."

Chuckling, Jess wrapped his arm around her, leaning in and kissing her neck softly. "What, you thought this was all a dream?"

"I like the reassurance."

"Yes, our apartment is very much real."

"Our apartment." Her smile grew bigger as she put her hands over his, twisting her neck and kissing him quickly. "I like that pronoun."

"It is a particularly good one." He admitted, nuzzling her neck as he pulled her closer.

"Welcome home, Jess. Our home." She turned around, crushing her mouth to his, smiling and he cupped her face in his hand, smiling as well.

"If you start crying next, I swear I'll change my mind." He threatened jokingly and she shook her head, kissing him one more time.

"Go get the paint."

Nodding and trying not to laugh, Jess dropped the bag he was holding, heading for the door again. "You really need that whip today."

"I might actually get one if you don't stop procrastinating."

"Hey, you're the one that went all sappy on me."

"Yes, now moment over, get to work." Rory leaned over and picked up the bag, pulling out the big box still holding the coffee machine. "Figures this would be the first thing we move in."

"I know what's good for me."

"Do we have any coffee?"

"I'll bring the bag and two cups from downstairs." He smirked before heading out the door as she walked to the kitchen, getting ready to set up the coffee machine. After a few minutes, Jess walked in the kitchen, putting a bag next to it on the counter. "Coffee is here, master."

"I'll make the coffee, you bring the paint?"

"Works for me." He chuckled again, walking back outside.

* * *

A while later, Jess dropped his paint brush back in the tray and walked to Rory, wrapping his arm around her.

"Have you ever painted before in your life?" He laughed softly, kissing her shoulder.

"That obvious, huh?" She looked at the odd paint strokes on the wall, laughing. "I helped build a house once, but we didn't get to the actually painting part. How bad am I?"

"In need of some improvement, let's put it like that."

"You're being nice."

"I'm being very, very nice." He chuckled again, taking her arm and guiding it across the wall. "Like this."

"Why?"

"Trust me." Jess smirked and she turned around, looking at his half of the room.

"Damn it, yours looks so much better. How do you…" She accentuated the word, kissing him quickly. "…know how to paint?"

"I had a job once." He shrugged.

"Are you good at everything?"

"I don't know…am I?" He cocked an eyebrow, making her blush as she hid her face in his chest. Kissing her temple, Jess smiled, placing his hand on the back of her neck. "So…?"

"Go back to painting!" She smiled playfully, pushing him away from her and turning back to face the wall.

"If it's an order…" He kissed her neck one more time before heading back to his side of the room. A while later, Rory turned around to look at Jess, grinning proudly.

"See, I finished…oh." She shook her head when she saw that he had finished the other three walls. "How the hell did you do this while I was working on one wall?"

"Experience." He shrugged. "Your wall looks very good, though." He took his paint brush and moved to the corner of the room, trying to smooth out some of the lines.

"How does it look good if you're fixing it?"

"I'm not fixing it, just making sure the corners look ok."

"I suck at this." She sighed, deflated, making him laugh.

"Hey, at least it's done."

"It's done and it sucks."

"Rory, no one can tell the difference." He reassured her, dropping the brush back in the tray and walking to her. "See?"

"I'm going to ask for an outsider's opinion on this."

"I know." Jess nodded, smirking as he kissed her. "Living room done."

"Oh, this means we get to go get furniture!" She clapped her hands excitedly, making his smirk grow even bigger.

"No chance we can take a break?"

"But we have a lot of stuff left to do…"

"But it's still early and you have some paint on you. I suggest we shower, wouldn't want to go shopping this dirty."

"Where do I have paint?" She looked down at her arms while Jess dipped a finger in the paint, leaving a small smudge on her cheek.

"There."

"Jerk." She laughed, kissing him as she wrapped her arms around him again. Lifting the edge of her shirt, Jess smudged a bit more paint on her skin, making her laugh again.

"See? A lot of paint."

"You're a bad influence."

"You like it."

"Must be because of the paint fumes." She kissed him, running her fingers down the back of his neck as she started backing them towards the bedroom door.

* * *

A while later, they were walking around the furniture store, his arm wrapped around her waist. Pointing at a table, Rory smiled, kissing his cheek.

"What do you think?"

"It's rectangular."

"Yes, Captain Obvious."

"It's odd."

"Because it's rectangular?"

"Because it just is." He shrugged as she pointed at another one.

"That one?"

"I don't like the color."

"It's wood."

"It's wood that doesn't match anything in our place."

"We'll repaint the kitchen, I'm getting much better at it." She grinned, kissing him. "And the cleaning up after is very fun."

"I agree with the second sentence." He leaned closer to her, kissing the spot below her ear. "That one?" He pointed at another table.

"Sure. Where is it supposed to go, middle of the living room? Because that's the only place it would fit."

"It might be a bit too big."

"Just a bit." She smiled, pulling him in the direction of another table. "This one!"

"Too flimsy for the purposes mentioned last night." He whispered closer to her ear, making her blush again.

"What, are you trying to imply that I'm fat?" Rory teased him, kissing him quickly.

"Yes, that's exactly it." He pushed the table a bit and it shook, making him grumble. "Who the hell makes these things?"

"Someone who designs them for eating, not other recreational activities."

"Idiots." He smirked, looking at another table. "This one?"

Tilting her head to the side, Rory smiled. "It's nice."

"Sturdy."

"It would fit in our kitchen."

"It's a very nice height." He smirked again next to her ear.

"Are you just judging furniture based on how good it would be for sex?"

"Are there any other criteria that I should be aware of?"

"You're a pig."

"I'm a guy." He kissed her again, looking at the table. "So?"

"It comes with chairs…and it is a very nice height." She blushed, nodding again as he flagged down the salesman. After a short conversation and a 'sold!' sticker being added to the table, Rory dragged Jess to the next section of the store, pointing to a desk.

"Look how nice it is."

"I'm sorry, do I even get a say in my desk or have you made your mind already?" Jess smirked, pulling her closer to him.

"No, you get a say. I'm just making a suggestion."

"Can I look around for a bit first?"

"What do you think of this desk?"

"It's nice."

"But you don't like it?" She tilted her head, looking at him.

"Never said I don't. I just want to see if there's another one I like more."

"Suppose so. Did you see all the drawers, though?"

Chuckling and shaking his head, Jess kissed her cheek. "It's a very nice desk. I just want to look around for a bit."

"Fine." Pointing to another area of the store, she smiled. "I'll go look for an armchair for me."

"Hey, if you get to pick my desk, I should get to pick your chair."

"I am not picking your desk. Just…"

"I know, making a suggestion. Go on, I'll meet you over there in 5."

"Ok." Rory smiled, kissing him quickly.

After a few minutes, Jess walked to her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I found a chair that works with that desk."

"So you got that one?"

"It's very nice."

"And it just makes me think of writers and it's really nice and…"

"You're crazy."

"I'm cute."

"You're beautiful." He countered again, making her smile.

"Now who's being a sap?"

"I fully accept my sappiness. Heaven forbid I compliment my girlfriend."

"Live-in girlfriend."

"You're going to refer to yourself as that for the next…?"

"3 to 6 months, most likely. Then the enthusiasm will wear off."

"Nice to know I have to think of something new in 6 months."

"What exactly can you think of?"

"I'm sure I'll figure something out." He smiled, kissing her quickly before pointing to an armchair. "I like this one."

"It would work next to the desk."

"Yes, heaven forbid out furniture doesn't get along."

"Oh, shush!" She squeezed his hand, laughing as she walked to the chair and sat down in it. "This is far too comfortable for me to ever move."

"Comfortable is good."

"No, this is beyond good. It's…awesome."

"I have a feeling I'll have to work hard to get you in bed." He smirked, looking down at her and she shook her head.

"Yes, I tend to put up a struggle."

"I'm revolting, huh?"

"Extremely so." Standing back up and kissing him quickly, she pointed to the chair. "Seriously, you have to sit in it."

"Why?"

"Because you have to see how awesome it is."

"I don't care."

"Jess…" She looked at him, biting her lip and he shook his head, sitting down.

"Very nice. Are we taking it?"

"Do you like it?"

"I don't know…" He drew out the sentence, smirking. "Come here, let's see if we can…"

"Stop judging furniture based on…that." She shook her head, snickering and he stood back up, motioning for the salesman.

"Or I'll get the whip?" Jess cocked an eyebrow, kissing her cheek as the salesman walked to them.

"Or you'll sleep on the floor tonight."

After another short conversation, Rory walked to the couches with Jess following closely behind. Stopping in front of one, she grinned.

"I like this one."

"It's leather."

"Are you suddenly morally opposed to leather and forgot to tell me?"

"Leather sticks to things." He pointed out, leaning closer to her ear.

"What things?"

Sliding his hand in her back pocket, Jess smirked. "Things."

"Do you even think about anything else?"

"How comfortable it would be in general crosses my mind once in a while."

"Impressive." Rory grinned again, twisting her neck and kissing his cheek. "Which couch do you like? And if I hear you mention that one more time, I will definitely not let you in the bed tonight, got it?"

"You'd kick me out of bed the first night we spend together in our new apartment?"

"If you continue being an annoying jerk, yes."

"That one."

"What?"

Taking her hand, Jess started walking towards a couch. "I like this one."

"You're generally supposed to answer a comment before you can move to a different conversation."

"Fine. And now for something completely different, I like this couch." He smirked, making Rory laugh. Sitting down, he extended his hand, taking hers. "Try it."

"Do I get a say or are you the one that's made up his mind this time?" She smiled, sitting down next to him and leaning back on the couch. "How the hell did you do that?"

"Do…what?" He looked at her confused and she shook her head.

"I walked all over this store and 5 others and couldn't find a couch I liked. You take five seconds and find a couch that fits in our living room perfectly, matches the color and is so comfortable it will give my chair a run for its money."

"Magic." He chuckled, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head.

"Must be." She rested her head on his shoulder, ignoring the people looking at them. "This couch is perfect. Welcome home." She ran her hands down the fabric, smiling.

"It's a couch, not a puppy. You don't have to talk to it."

"Oh, shut up and let's go, we still have to move in the boxes." She stood up, extending her arm and waiting for him to get up. When he did, he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her softly. She leaned her forehead against his, her eyes still closed and smiled.

"We're done."

"What?"

"Furniture shopping is done."

"Yeah."

"Our house is almost complete." She kissed him again, still smiling.

"I wouldn't say that."

"Well, we're far closer than we were yesterday."

"That, I agree with. Now stop being a sap and let's go talk to the guy." Jess kissed her temple, wrapping his arm around her waist before walking to the salesman again.

* * *

Hours later, Rory was standing in the kitchen, trying to organize the cupboards. Walking to her, Jess kissed her shoulder, wrapping one arm around her waist as she stopped wiping the plate in her hand.

"Take a break."

"I have one box left. How are the books coming along?"

"Bedroom shelves done, too tired to get started on the living room."

"If you give me ten minutes to finish this, I'll do it."

"Or we could call for dinner and take the rest of the night off."

"And where exactly are we going to eat, since our furniture doesn't get here until Monday afternoon?"

"Floor." He shrugged, kissing her.

"But we're not even close to being done…" She tried to reason with him, but he smiled, cupping her face in his hand.

"We have all day tomorrow. It doesn't have to be done tonight."

"But…"

Leaning over and kissing her, he rested his forehead against hers, still smiling.

"Is Chinese food official enough for our first meal in this house?" Rory asked, whispering and making him chuckle.

"Yes."

"Are you just agreeing with me because you don't want to unpack anymore?"

"Partly. It's mostly because I'm hungry, however."

"Call for dinner, I'll finish these dishes and then it's done until tomorrow." She smiled, picking up a plate and her rag again and going back to wiping it.

"Give me a minute." A short time later he walked back in the room. "Food is on its way. Coffee?"

"Sure." Rory nodded, smiling at him over her shoulder. Hoping on the counter next to the coffee machine while he waited for coffee to be done, Jess watched her as she organized the plates in the cupboard.

"Need any help?"

"Just company."

"I'm good at that."

"No, you're good at distracting me."

"I'd never do such a thing." He smirked, walking to her and kissing her shoulder again.

"So what are you trying to do now?"

"I'm going to invoke my right not to incriminate myself."

"Wise." She turned her head, kissing him. "Be good, I don't have much left."

"There's another box over there."

"One of 5. That means I'm almost done."

Shaking his head, Jess kissed her again. "I'll wash them, you wipe and put them away."

"But you're tired."

"The sooner it's done, the sooner I get your undivided attention." He smirked, opening the box and taking a couple of plates out, turning the water on.

A while later, Jess walked in the kitchen, holding a paper bag in his hand. "Dinner's here."

"Plates?"

"We just finished washing them." He shook his head, pulling out a box and handing it to her. "Here, this one's yours."

Putting the box next to him, Rory jumped up on a counter, smiling. "Forks at least or do I have to eat with my hands?"

Looking in the bag, Jess pulled out a couple of plastic forks, smirking as he handed her one.

"Works for me." She nodded, smiling as he got up on another counter, pulling out his dinner and starting to eat. After a few minutes, she lifted her head, looking at him.

"This is how it's going to be from now on, isn't it?"

"We'll probably use real cutlery sometimes. Why?"

"I'm just…it's nice. It's really, really nice."

"You sure? Because it kind of sounded for a second that you were going to go the other way with that." Jess countered, putting his food down and looking at her.

"I'm sure. I am so happy right now. Exhausted, don't get me wrong, but so incredibly happy…" She smiled.

"Promise?" He tilted his head to the side and she nodded, biting her lip.

"Promise."

Hopping down and walking to her, Jess took the box of food away from her and put his hands on her waist, looking into her eyes.

"Then this is how it's going to be from now on." He nodded, smiling as he leaned in and kissed her gently. "I love you, Ror."

"I love you too." She smiled back, running her fingers through his hair. "Can we…?" She trailed off, pointing with her head in the direction of the bedroom and he smirked, nodding.

"Thought you'd never ask."


	48. Six copies of Howl and a couch

**Sorry, everyone. The last few weeks have been so crazy busy I haven't had time to write at all. Everything is over now so regular updates should be back starting this week. Thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**

* * *

**

**Six copies of_ Howl_ and a couch**

Sunday morning, Rory and Jess were sitting on the living room floor, surrounded by books. Picking one from one of the stacks, Jess held it up.

"What?" Rory cocked an eyebrow, looking at him.

"Wrong section."

"_On the Road. _How does it not fit in the other fiction section?"

"It does. However, I'm pretty sure it would work better in the Beats pile." He smirked, throwing it on top of a copy of _Howl_.

"You have a separate pile just for the Beats?"

"We have a separate pile." He nodded, accentuating the first word. "Figured they deserved it."

"You're insane." Rory shook her head, laughing softly.

"I can't just throw Kerouac in with the rest, it's not fair."

"You already have a Hemingway shelf!"

"You have a Rand shelf." He pointed out, chuckling.

"That's it, just for this, I get to separate my non-fiction into 5 categories!" She announced victoriously, looking at the piles.

"No one will ever figure this out."

"Probably not even us." She laughed again, leaning over and kissing him.

"We'll just have to abandon the system and never speak of it again." Jess chuckled and she glared at him, trying not to laugh.

"Try it. I dare you."

"Not until they deliver the couch." He kissed her one more time, picking up another book. After a few minutes, Rory sighed frustrated, throwing one book in his direction.

"What?"

"Beats pile."

"Ok." Jess nodded, placing the book on top.

"How many of _Howl _do two people need? Because we're up to 5 I think." She started ranting, trying not to sound too frustrated.

"Seriously?"

"Last time I counted."

"How many did you bring?"

"Uh…" Lifting her hand, Rory started counting, raising a finger with each new copy she could think of. "I bought a copy in college because I needed it for a class and didn't have mine on hand, your copy, the one I bought to replace your copy…"

"My copy?" He tilted his head to the side, knowing full well what she was talking about. "Steal it from me and you're admitting it now?"

"The one…in high school…you put notes in it!" She smiled back at him, trying not to blush. "It kind of became your copy after that."

"And the one you bought to replace it?"

"I couldn't look at that one after you left." Rory replied simply, biting her lip. "It hurt." She paused for a second, taking a deep breath. "So I bought a replacement, different edition, different cover, everything. But…I don't know, I could still see your notes even though they weren't there. That's why I left it home instead of taking it with me to college."

"Come here." Jess extended her arm, waiting for her to move closer to him before he kissed the top of her head, hugging her tightly. "I'm sor…"

"Doesn't matter." She interrupted him, lifting her head and kissing him softly. "You don't have to keep apologizing for that. It's very much done and buried."

"You can't tell me I ruined your enjoyment of _Howl _and then expect me not to apologize." He smirked, kissing her back.

"Don't worry, I got over it." She grinned back at him, running her fingers through his hair before moving back to her previous position and started to organize books again. He stayed in the same position, watching her.

"I didn't read it either for a few years."

"What's a few?" Rory looked up at him again, smiling.

"Four and a bit."

"That's…"

"Yeah." He shook his head, running his hand through his hair and letting out a deep breath. "I couldn't get past the first page."

"You're a sentimental sap." She teased, trying to lighten the mood but Jess shook his head again.

"No, it was just…it made me feel like a jerk for everything I did. And after I moved to Philly and stopped wasting my life, it just reminded me of how I'd been before. Of what I'd been."

"Even back then…you were still the best thing in my life." Rory whispered, a faint smile playing on her lips as her hand held his.

"No."

"Yes." She countered again, moving closer to him. "You were angry, I was stupid. Neither one of us was perfect. But the good times? They were so good."

"And the bad times were hell."

"I still wouldn't trade them for the world."

"And I'm the sap." Jess finally smiled, crushing his mouth to hers.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ror. So...so fucking much."

"You're probably the only person in the world that could insert a curse word in that sentence and still make it sound perfect." She teased him again, placing quick kisses on his lips. "Now get back to work, mom and Luke will be here any minute."

Kissing her one more time, Jess picked a book again as she moved back to her place. After a few seconds, he lifted his head, throwing the book in a pile.

"Three."

"What?"

"I think I have three copies of _Howl_."

"Seriously? That means we have at least six copies."

"People kept buying it for me when they couldn't see it in my shelves." He shrugged, smirking."I'd just throw them in the back."

"Why are people looking at your bookshelves? Unless of course we're talking about girl people, then I can see what they'd been doing in your bedroom and I have to stop thinking about this now." She grimaced, shaking her head.

"I think Matt and Chris got me a copy once for Christmas as well."

"Oh, good, now it's all better." Rory laughed, looking at him. "Change the subject, please."

"Bukowski and Miller should have their own shelf as well." He smirked, picking up a copy of _Sexus_.

"No."

"We'll add Anais Nin to it as well."

"No." Rory shook her head again, smiling.

"You're no fun."

"Shut up and organize books, will you?" She smiled, leaning over to him quickly and kissing him again.

"Yes, master."

"Oh, nice! Can you call me that from now on?"

"Not unless you get an all leather outfit and a whip." Jess smirked, making her shake her head.

"You're impossible."

"Sure…I'm the impossible one here."

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"No." He shook his head, smirking. "Just organizing books and minding my own business."

Some time later, they heard the doorbell ring. Jumping up from her place, Rory ran to the door and Jess stood up, watching her. Opening the door, she hugged her mother quickly, smiling.

"Hey, you're here!"

"We come bearing boxes."

"Come in." Opening the door completely, Rory waited for Lorelai and Luke to walk in before closing it again, grinning as she pointed to the room. "Welcome."

"So this is your place?"

"Nope, we just like sitting in other people's apartments." Jess deadpanned, making the women laugh.

"Honey, explain to the hoodlum…"

"No need. Shut up, go make more coffee." He sighed before walking in the kitchen. A few seconds later, Rory walked in, followed by Lorelai and Luke.

"So, yeah, this is where he cooks…"

"I've never been more proud of you, Rory." Lorelai laughed, pretending to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye.

Shaking his head, Jess continued to look at the coffee machine, smirking as the three left the room, walking to the bedroom.

"And yeah, bedroom. Bathroom's over there." Rory pointed at the door, smiling. "Grandma will probably think it's a shoe box…"

"And offer to buy you a house. Or a plane. Or both." Lorelai chimed in, smiling.

"Probably. But yeah, I love it."

"Well, I don't care, I think it's great." Lorelai smiled, hugging her daughter quickly.

"It's everything we need."

"It's a nice place." Luke agreed, walking to the window and checking it.

"What's he doing?"

"He's male, who the hell knows?"

"I'm checking it to see what type of window it is, Lorelai. They sleep in this room, would you like them to…"

"Don't even finish that. I don't care, do what you need to do, pull out the bubble level thingy, whatever. I'll be in the kitchen, where the happy coffee is." Lorelai started dragging Rory to the kitchen, leaving her husband behind, opening and closing the bathroom door. As soon as they walked in the room, Jess handed them two mugs filled with coffee.

"Here. Where's Luke?"

"Being all Bob the Builder in the bedroom." Lorelai replied, leaning against a counter.

"I'll go find him." He announced, leaving the room.

"Sorry about the lack of seating, the furniture doesn't get here until tomorrow afternoon."

"It's fine." Lorelai shrugged, smiling. "It's a really nice place, kid."

"Thanks." Rory smiled back at her. Seeing Luke walk out of the bedroom, she walked in the living room as well, her mother following her.

"Who painted this wall?" Luke pointed at her wall, making Jess grimace.

"I did." Rory announced, looking at the wall as well.

"It's…uh…" Luke backtracked, making her laugh.

"It's ok, you can say it, it's not the greatest painting job in the world."

"It's not bad." He shrugged again, looking at his nephew, who was trying not to laugh. "Let's go get the boxes."

"Sure." Jess rolled his eyes, walking to the front door, brushing his hand against Rory's on the way out.

"Anything else exciting happen?" Lorelai walked in the bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for Rory to join her.

"Not really. I start work tomorrow, that's about it."

"You excited?"

"Yeah." Rory nodded. "And we got the greatest couch in the world."

"We brought your TV with us, since you said you were leaving the other one with Matt and Chris."

"Thanks. Anything exciting on your end?"

Grinning, Lorelai looked at her. "Remember when I told you we were considering getting started on other things soon?"

"Yeah." Rory nodded, grinning. "Why?"

"We'll we've kind of started. Nothing yet, but I'm off the pill and the plan is to make us a baby."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." Lorelai nodded, looking at her mug. "You're still ok with this, right?"

"Mom, it's your life. But I am so much more than ok. Trying not to bounce up and down with excitement right now." She grinned, making Lorelai smile as well.

"Good. Because you know, wouldn't want to lose my first born just because there might be another kid."

"Hopefully soon, we need another ally in the coffee war."

"Luke is already adamant that he won't let this not even conceived yet child have coffee until its eighteenth birthday."

"Luke is crazy." Rory smiled, drinking from her cup. "Anything else happen in Stars Hollow?"

"Not really. Taylor is still whining about losing you. You moved in with the hoodlum, all hope is now forever lost."

"Seriously?"

"He approached me after the town meeting, offering me ways of getting you out. I believe the words 'cult' and 'brainwashed' were mentioned. I solved it." Lorelai grinned victoriously. "Don't tell Luke, he'll explode if he hears about that."

"Not saying a word."

"I realize that this is probably a crucial conversation, but could you please hold the door open while we move stuff in?" Jess smirked, standing in doorway.

"Shoot, sorry." Standing up, Rory kissed his cheek quickly and Lorelai followed her to the front door, holding it open while the guys moved boxes in.

* * *

The next afternoon, Rory walked in the living room, being greeted by Jess, who was holding a coffee cup in one hand. Wrapping her arms around him, she rested her head on his chest and he kissed her temple, smiling.

"Tired?"

"Missed you."

"Even better." He smirked, waiting for her to lift her head before he kissed her. "Coffee."

"I love you." Taking the cup from him and drinking from it, she looked at him. "What are you doing here, I'm supposed to be the first one home."

"Ror, what day is it today?"

"Uh…Monday?"

"And?"

"Oh, furniture!" She yelped excitedly, moving away from him, looking around the room. "Couch!" She pointed at it, putting her mug on a box. "We have a couch."

"And everything else."

"Everything's here?"

"Safe and unharmed."

Walking in the kitchen quickly and seeing the small table surrounded by chairs in a corner, she smiled again, taking his hand and dragging him to their bedroom. After checking the desk and chair, she turned around again, hugging him tightly.

"We have furniture."

"How can you be so excited over furniture?"

"It's complete now. Our home is done."

"Not really, we didn't think to buy a coffee table and nightstand."

"Well, almost complete then." Rory smiled, kissing him excitedly before dragging him back to the living room and sitting down on the couch."This is still the world's greatest couch."

"You thought it wasn't going to be?"

"Furniture rules say that stuff is only comfortable in the shop and then terrible at home."

"Huh. Figured that one form your extensive furniture buying experience?"

"Everyone knows that, Jess. Everyone."

"My bad. How was work?" He kissed her quickly, smiling as he changed the subject.

"It was awesome. Everyone is so great, there's a coffee machine, I have a desk, albeit a small one, but still a desk and oh, I had my picture taken for my badge and it's awesome, did I say that already?"

"Yes, you did." Jess chuckled, hugging her closer. "So, good day?"

"Really good day. Just starving, I was too excited to eat lunch."

"That must be some sort of a miracle."

"Sarcasm. Just one more obnoxious service you offer."

"And for free, what a great offer, isn't it?" He smirked again, kissing her quickly. "Dinner's in the kitchen."

"Really?"

"You honestly think I was going to risk my safety by not having food ready when you came home from work?"

"Wise man. Much knowledge. Mastered the ways of the world."

"Go on, let's go feed you." He stood up, extending his arm and Rory pouted, looking at him.

"But couch…so comfortable."

"You can starve on the comfortable couch then, I'm going to go eat."

"Mean."

"Terrible." Jess started heading towards the living room and Rory sighed, standing up as well and picking up her coffee mug before following him in the kitchen.

* * *

Later that night, Rory was lying in bed, her head rested on Jess' chest while he was running his hand up and down her arm.

"Why aren't you sleeping?"

"Thinking."

"About?"

"Things."

"Trying to find a way to break up with me?" He smirked, kissing the top of her head. "Because I have to remind you we have a one year contract for this place. Getting out of it might be tricky."

"I'm not breaking up with you. I love you. I'm just…thinking."

"About potentially being a big sister? Or work?"

"Both. And I don't know, just…home. You. I'm happy."

"Well, good. You being miserable would suck."

"Not when you're around. Well, not unless we're fighting."

"So what's with all the thinking then?"

"I'm just…you have to not take this the wrong way if I ask you."

"Feel like a threesome? 'Cause depending on the sex of the other…"

"You're a pig." Rory laughed, slapping his chest.

"Hey, I can hope."

"What, you want someone else?"

"Nope." Jess smiling against her hair, kissing her head. "Ror, what is it?"

Sitting up on the bed, she looked at him, pulling the blanket around her. "Kids."

"What?" Jess sat up as well, leaning against the headboard.

"Do you want kids?" She took a deep breath, waiting for him to answer but when he didn't, she shook her head, biting her lip. "I don't mean right now or with me and stuff but I am pretty convinced that I want to spend the rest of my life with you and unless you've changed your mind, you said you want that too, and God, I hope you haven't changed your mind, but we never talked about this and you don't seem like a kid person and you don't seem to like Doula that much, even though she's your baby sister and I really want to have kids at some point and I would prefer if said kids were with you."

"Kids?"

"Did you not hear that rant?" She sighed, glaring at him.

"'Kids' sounds like a whole bunch."

"I don't want a football team, but one, maybe two would be nice. Someday."

"And if I say I don't…what then?"

"Then…I don't know." Rory shrugged, looking at him. "I don't think this is something I can give up, no matter how much I love you."

"Non-negotiable then, right?"

"I'd be willing to not get married, but this…yeah, it is."

"What if I said I wanted at least 5?" He smirked, looking at her.

"Jess, be serious."

"What makes you think I'm not?"

"Jess!" She glared at him again, making him chuckle. Pulling her to him, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, hugging her.

"One kid would be ok. I'm not sure how I'd feel about more than one. We'd probably have to talk about it again and I'm not promising anything, but...it could be negotiated."

"So…you want one?"

"Not right now, but someday…yeah. Wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"How nice."

"I don't mean it like that. Just…I've never put much thought into this. But I suppose I'd like a kid one day. Maybe kids."

"You're sure?"

"Are you going to go baby crazy now on me?"

"No." Rory shook her head, laughing. "I've just started this job, this baby thing isn't supposed to happen for a few years. I just wanted to make sure you…you know."

"Remind me to kill your mother and Luke, I have a feeling they're the reason for that rant."

"Not really. I've been thinking about it for a while. But it's not the kind of thing one would talk about on the phone. Mom just brought it back to me."

"Feeling better now?"

"Are you sure you want that? You're not agreeing just because…?"

"Rory, I'm not an idiot. I wouldn't say yes to this if I wasn't sure."

"Absolutely…"

"Don't even ask again."

"I love you, Jess." She smiled softly, hugging him.

"Love you too."

Lying back down on the bed and pulling him down with her, Rory closed her eyes.

"Good night."

Smirking as he wrapped his arm around her, pulling the blankets higher up their bodies, Jess kissed her shoulder, hugging her close.

"You're insane."

After a few minutes of silence, he ran his fingers over her stomach, smiling softly.

"Ror?"

"Yeah?"

"I haven't changed my mind."

"What?"

"About spending my life with you. I haven't changed my mind."

"Good." Rory smiled, squeezing his hand.

"Night."


	49. The story of the two Thanksgivings

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, everyone. You're all so awesome. **

**

* * *

**

**The story of the two Thanksgivings**

Thursday afternoon, Rory walked into the apartment above Truncheon, finding Jess, Matt and Chris there, sitting on the couch, drinking beer and watching TV.

"Hey, how was work?" Jess asked, looking at her and she sat down on the arm of his chair, smiling.

"Not bad."

"Beer?" Chris asked, handing her a bottle and she took it from him, nodding gratefully.

"Thanks."

"This is how we spend our Thanksgiving." Jess shrugged, looking up at her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"There's no food." Rory pointed out, grinning.

"We were waiting for you. We get Chinese from the one place that's still open and then proceed to eat and drink until we're out of beer. Chris insists we watch football, then Matt puts in his special _Twilight Zone_ episode and then we decide next year we'll definitely have our own bar since nothing is open today and we want a place to continue drinking."

"Matt, what episode?" She looked at the young man, her fingers playing with the hairs on the back of Jess' neck at the same time.

"_It's a Good Life_."

"Oh, awesome choice." Turning back to look at Jess, she smiled, kissing him quickly. "I like your ideas."

"You better like them, you're the first outsider to join us!" Chris chuckled, looking at her.

"No, see, she lived here, albeit for a few days, but she did live here, which means she's not an outsider." Matt explained to his friend, speaking slowly, making everyone else laugh.

"Fine, then she who is not an outsider, can you pass me the phone? I believe I am about ready for spring rolls, since it's been almost an hour since I last ate." Chris grinned and Rory handed him the phone.

"Oh, and we eat. A lot." Jess smirked, kissing her shoulder quickly. "I don't think that'll be a problem for you, though."

"This day was made for eating."

"Noodles or rice?" Matt asked, looking up from the menu.

"Both." Chris shrugged.

"I definitely second that suggestion." Rory laughed as well.

"Sweet and sour or lemon?"

"Both." Rory answered, laughing and Chris nodded in agreement.

"I suppose if I ask if I should go for chicken balls instead of chicken in its usual form, you'll just say…"

"Both." Chris and Rory nodded in unison, making the other two laugh.

"Just remember, if you get fat, I won't like you anymore." Jess teased Rory, chuckling and she kissed him, smiling as well.

"It will be worth it. I'll get cats instead. Or a crazy dog or something."

"Rory, I am still volunteering to marry you and make sure you don't become a spinster in case you ever break up with him." Matt grinned, looking at her.

"Very generous of you. I'll think about it." She answered and Jess looked up at her, smirking.

"I'm hurt."

"Oh, go on, it's not like we were planning our affair in front of you." Chris chimed in, winking at Rory. "After that one night stand, I definitely need to see you again."

"Chris, you know I can't discuss such things when he's here." Rory pointed at Jess, grinning but made a telephone sign with her hand, lifting it to her ear and mouthing "Call me." to him, as Jess watched.

"That's it, we're breaking up." He announced, pulling her down in his lap, making her laugh.

"I'll fight you for her." Matt looked at Chris, grinning and Chris motioned to his bedroom.

"I'll bring the pistols, you clear the room for a duel."

"Don't worry, I'll win." Matt nodded reassuringly at Rory, grinning.

"Guys, there's no need for bloodshed. I'm sure we can work something out here. After I eat, though. Some of us haven't been eating all day."

"Entire chicken column, here we come." Chris laughed and Matt looked at him, trying to fake shock.

"I hope you weren't going to forget the fortune cookies!"

* * *

Saturday morning, Rory opened the front door to their apartment, finding Matt and Chris on the other side.

"We're here."

"We were supposed to pick you up." She motioned for them to come inside, stepping out of the way.

"He's far too excited about this, I couldn't convince him to sit still. This is a compromise." Chris shrugged, pointing at his friend.

"Stars Hollow!" Matt grinned excitedly, rubbing his hands together. "Magic place of torture for Jess, swan story, this awesome creature we've been hearing so many stories about that is your mother…what's not to be excited about?"

* * *

_Later on Thanksgiving night._

"_God, I'm bored of Philadelphia!" Matt announced, throwing the empty bag of chips to the ground. "How far away is Christmas?"_

"_Less than a month. Where are you going?" Rory asked, smiling._

"_My sister. Her kids miss Uncle Matt apparently." He smiled back at her. "Plus I found this awesome toy drum kit for her youngest. She's going to hate my guts."_

"_Yes, make a note: if you ever have kids, don't let Matt buy them anything. He purposely looks for the loudest toys he can find." Chris chuckled. _

"_I can't make it a whole month, I'm bored!" Matt sighed again. "I have to get out of here."_

"_Well, we're going to Stars Hollow this weekend. It's definitely the least exciting place on Earth, but the Fall Festival should still be going on, and my mom's best friend is planning a massive meal since I can't be there today and she's an awesome chef. You're both more than welcomed to come."_

"_Seriously?"_

"_Yeah." Rory smiled again. "I probably can't find you a room at the inn on such short notice, but Jess and I can take my old room and you can have the diner apartment and, I don't know, it could be fun." _

"_Rory, please tell me you're not joking. My poor hear won't take it."_

"_I'm definitely not joking." She reassured him._

"_Jess, is it ok with you if we go?"_

"_I don't care." He shrugged. "It's painful enough as it is, you two won't make any difference."_

"_We can use them as an excuse and get out of Friday night dinner tomorrow." Rory grinned, kissing Jess' cheek._

"_Please come." He smirked, looking at his friends._

"_Can I start packing now?" Matt grinned._

* * *

"Can we leave now?" Matt laughed, seeing Jess walk out of the kitchen, holding a coffee cup.

"Sure. You sure you don't want to go have breakfast first?"

"No breakfast, I want to go!" Matt grinned again and Rory laughed, picking up her small bag from the corner of the room.

"Let's go."

* * *

A few hours later, Jess stopped the car in front of Luke's diner.

"I'll go drop the car at your mom's house, you do the tour and everything else. I assume you'll be in the diner in 10 minutes."

"Yep. Coffee, food, mom."

"Great." He deadpanned, smirking.

"We'll see you in a bit." Rory smiled, kissing his cheek quickly as the other two guys got out of the car. As soon as she was out as well, she grinned.

"Here we are." She pointed to the square, filled with pumpkins and various other decorations. "Town square. Where everything happens. Luke's diner, place of wonder and magic and the infamous apartment where Jess spent almost 2 years of his life." She started pointing at various buildings. "Andrew's, the bookshop. Weston's, really good cake."

"Coffee!" Chris cried out loud. "We'll need energy to keep up with his hyperactive self." He pointed at Matt.

"You read my mind."

Walking inside the diner, Rory spotted her mother at a table. Standing up when she saw her daughter, Lorelai grinned.

"You're here, offspring!"

"And, as promised, I come bringing guests. Matt, Chris, this is my mother, Lorelai."

"Hello, Rory's mom." Matt straightened his back, smiling.

"Oh, wow, I haven't been called that since she was in first grade. I hear you're the people to ask for dirt on Jess."

"I hear you're the woman that will tell us the swan story."

"You hear right, young one."

"Is your husband around or can I tell you I love you without risking severe bodily harm?" Matt chuckled, looking at Lorelai.

"It's always nice hearing I'm loved. Sit down." She pointed to the empty chairs and everyone sat down. "Luke, we require your assistance." She waved her husband down and he came to the table, holding a few empty mugs.

"Hey."

"Luke! We haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I've been busy. Where's Jess?"

"Dropping the car, he'll be right over." Rory informed him, smiling. "Can I get coffee?"

"Me too!" Chris chimed in and Matt nodded.

"Me three!"

"Me four!" Lorelai announced, making Luke shake his head.

"I'll be right back, decide what you want to eat in the meantime."

"Oh, I have good news! Since this week's meeting didn't take place because of Thanksgiving, Taylor decided to move it tonight. Which means you have a chance to attend an authentic Stars Hollow town meeting, complete with craziness and Kirk. I've already talked to Taylor and negotiated permission for you two outsiders to attend it."

"This is the greatest town in the world!"

"Oh, you have no idea." Lorelai laughed, handing the young man a menu. "Wait until you try Luke's coffee."

"And his burgers!" Rory giggled.

"And Sookie's cooking!"

"Best day ever!" Matt grinned again, pulling an empty mug closer to him.

* * *

Hours later, after they toured the town and the inn, everyone was gathered in Lorelai's living room. Bringing a new platter of food and putting it on the table, Sookie smiled, sitting down.

"I'm done now."

"Really? No more appetizers? Because I don't think five trays are enough!" Lorelai laughed, accentuating the word 'five'.

"Wait, I should have made more? I can always whip up some…"

"Sookie, joke! Joke!"

"Didn't you say we're reenacting Thanksgiving? Why is there no turkey?" Matt whispered, leaning closer to Rory.

"Turkey comes later. These are just the starters."

"You can't be serious!"

"The first thing to know about Sookie is that if she can't decide what food to make, she'll make everything. New people means she'll put even more thought into it. I think she made…3 different main courses the first night Jess came for dinner here, back when he'd just moved to this town. Her ways are not to be fought, but worshiped."

"Did I thank you for bringing me here in the past 3 minutes?"

"Remember to keep room for dessert, I heard cake being mentioned earlier."

"I need to move here." Matt grinned, picking some food from one of the platters. Walking to Jess, she wrapped her arm around his waist, smiling.

"What are you up to?"

"Watching this." He pointed at Lane and Chris, who looked like they were in the middle of an argument.

"No way! Most overrated singer in the history of music!" Chris sighed, frustrated. "She sounds like someone's after her with a freaking knife at all times!"

"The music world would be completely different had it not been for her."

"That can be argued for everyone, including freaking Britney. Next you're going to start defending Nickelback's contribution to metal." The man sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Heathen!"

"Madonna?" Rory whispered at Jess and he shook his head.

"Alanis. They've been at it for a while."

"If they actually attack…?"

"I'll find a camera." He smirked, making Rory laugh.

"Good boy." She replied, kissing his cheek. "I'll go grab some food."

"Ok."

"Call me if you see blood." Rory walked to her mother, who was sitting next to Matt, talking. "What are you telling him?" She smiled, sitting down.

"Everything." They both grinned enthusiastically.

"You're evil." She pointed her finger at her mother.

"Hey, hey, fair trade and all that."

"And I now know what I'm getting Jess for Christmas."

"Oh, God." Rory laughed, picking up a plate and shoveling some food onto it. "Can I know or is a secret?"

"How would you feel about having a pet swan?"

"Or lease says no live animals, I'm sorry." Rory shook her head.

"A stuffed pet swan?"

"No." She shot him down again. "You'll just have to think of something else."

"Fine." Matt grumbled.

"Be nice, both of you." Rory threatened, pointing her finger at them.

"Nuh-uh." Lorelai shook her head. "You like Jess, you won't give me any dirt. I don't have many chances like this."

"You're evil."

"I need something to blackmail him with."

"I'll let you get back to it then." Rory stood up, taking her plate with her. Walking back to Jess, she smiled, taking a bite from his food.

"How's it going?" She pointed at the two with her head. "Still at it?"

"They're at the Kurt Cobain-murder or suicide debate."

"How are you?"

"Amused." Jess smirked, kissing her cheek.

"Not bored?"

"Not very. What's Matt up to?"

"Getting dirt on you, I'm sorry to say."

"Damn it." He smirked, walking to the table with Rory next to him and getting some food. "He seems to forget that I have enough stories about him to last me for a lifetime, most of them far worse than the swan one."

"Seriously?"

"His older brother is a very nice guy. He shared."

"Well, I convinced him to not get you a stuffed swan for Christmas, so I should get something for that."

"I'll make sure you're repaid tonight." Jess whispered in her ear, making her blush.

"That's not what I had in mind." She smiled, kissing him quickly.

"What did you have in mind then?"

"Your book. Please, Jess, please!" She pouted, looking at him. "You said it's done and I promise I won't care about your spelling and stuff and please!"

"You really can't wait for less than a month?" He looked at her, running his hand over her leg.

"No. I want to read it."

"You know I won't say yes to this, no matter what, right?"

"But…"

"No." Jess shook his head, trying to hide his smirk when he saw her disappointment. "This is my thing and I'll do it at my own pace."

"You're just doing this to annoy me."

"Clearly."

"Chris never should have mentioned it, this is all his fault."

* * *

_Thanksgiving night._

"_We need to open our own bar!" Chris grumbled, making the other two men sigh._

"_Here we go." Jess chuckled, running his hand down Rory's leg._

"_Chris, we're doing the coffee shop thing this year. The bar will have to wait."_

"_Why can't we do both?"_

"_Did you win the lottery and forgot to mention it?" Jess lifted an eyebrow. _

"_I'm just saying, with good planning we can do this. The estimates for next year look good. If we get started with the coffee shop soon so we can be done by the mid-January and your book does as well as the first one, we can totally open a bar in late summer."_

"_Hey, the coffee shop is dependent on you guys. I've moved out." Jess pointed out, drinking from his beer. _

"_We have a viewing for a place next week. It's two blocks over." Matt nodded. "I'm also meeting with the lawyer dude to ask about permits and other legal stuff on Monday. Now we only need your book to be done."_

"_It will be." _

"_Jess, I swear, if it's not done by Christmas, there will be no place for you to hide." Chris pointed his finger at him, trying to look threatening._

"_Jeez, relax. I said it will be done."_

"_Lay off him. He keeps his deadlines." Matt shrugged, smiling. _

"_We still need to edit it and then get it printed. That will take a while."_

"_Chris, I'm well aware of how this works. But you know as well as I do that there's no way for us to do this while we're still working downstairs without killing each other."_

"_Probably not." Chris chuckled, leaning against the couch. "If it's as good as the first one, we'll be alright."_

"_No pressure." Jess chuckled, drinking from his bottle again. _

* * *

Later that night, after dinner, the town meeting and a movie, Rory and Jess were back in her old bedroom, having dropped Matt and Chris at the diner.

"Good day?" Jess smirked, kissing the top of her head as she snuggled closer to him.

"Yeah."

"They're all crazy for doing a fake Thanksgiving for you."

"You're talking about the people that wanted me to do a fake graduation because I couldn't get them tickets. A few people getting together and making dinner again is really not much."

"Probably not." He agreed, rubbing her arm slowly. "Is everything ok?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"You're just quiet."

"I'm tired." Rory smiled, looking up at him. "Long day."

"Go to sleep."

"Yeah, that's what I was planning to do." She laughed, kissing his chest. "I like this bed, I have a good excuse to sleep as close to you as I can."

"Yes, because you don't do that anyway in our monumentally sized bed."

"Does it bother you?"

"Sure." He replied sarcastically. "Usually naked girl glued to me. It should be a torture technique, it's that awful." He smirked, tightening his hold on her.

"Jess, be serious!"

Shaking his head slowly, he kissed the top of her head. "I like it." He whispered against her hair. "It's on my list of things I like about you."

"Really?"

"It's nice." He shrugged as Rory blushed, happy that he couldn't see her.

"Remind me to get an Advent calendar this week." She changed the subject, placing a quick kiss on his chest.

"Seriously? Aren't those for kids?"

"They might be, but I like them. Do you want one?"

"Nope. I have this awesome new invention, called a regular calendar. It tells me dates and stuff. Really innovative. I think it will catch on."

"Regular calendars don't have chocolate."

"I can buy chocolate. Also a new thing."

"Now you're just being a jerk." Rory laughed, lifting her head and kissing him. "Lack of sleep making you grumpy?"

"No, I'm usually grumpy. And you wearing clothes isn't helping my mood." He smirked, kissing her again. "Go to sleep."

"You too."

"I was going to do some more editing tonight."

"Normal people sleep at night."

"I'm just not normal then." He chuckled. "I am dating you, isn't that enough proof?"

"Jerk." She repeated, laughing. "Good night."

"Night." He kissed her one more time, waiting until he thought she was asleep before getting out of bed and gong to the desk, pulling out his manuscript. Opening one eye, Rory smiled, looking at him.

"Christmas can't be here soon enough."


	50. Finding Heaven

**A/N: I am going to be sentimental for a bit, but only because I can and it's the last chapter, dang it. Thank you so much to all of you that read and review this. Trust me, this story wouldn't be here without your support. I never expected it to even get to 10 chapters, let alone 50. I really hope you had as much fun reading this story as I had writing it. **

**Thank you again and for the last time, I hope you enjoy this chapter :). **

**

* * *

**

**Finding Heaven**

Almost a month later, Rory walked into the bedroom, jumping on the bed excitedly.

"Vacation! Almost Christmas! Stars Hollow!" She giggled, falling down on the bed.

"Really? Because you haven't been talking about this for the past two weeks."

"I'm excited." She bit her lip, looking into his eyes.

"But you're so subtle about it. I couldn't tell a thing!" Pulling her down closer to him and kissing her, Jess kissed her, smiling. "Ready to go?"

"I've been ready for hours! A week of Stars Hollow with nothing to do? Bliss."

"Coffee, breakfast, then we go."

"But Jess!" She pouted, giggling at the same time.

"Final offer."

"Oh, fine." Standing up, she took his hand, trying to pull him out of bed. "Go on, get up."

"And if I say no?"

"I'm leaving without you!" She announced, grinning and Jess got out of bed, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her softly.

"You're crazy."

"Hurry up." She smiled at him, placing quick kisses on his lips.

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

The next afternoon, Jess wrapped his arms around Rory's waist from behind, kissing her shoulder as she stood in front of the coffee machine in Lorelai's house.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing much. Why?"

"I was thinking of going by the bridge. Read or something. Want to join me?"

"Sure. Let me grab my coat." She looked at him suspiciously as she got dressed. "Is something wrong? You're acting a bit strange."

"Everything's fine."

"Promise? You're not breaking up with me or something, are you?"

"No." He laughed, running a hand through his hair. "Not breaking up."

"Good. Because lease and all that. Couldn't care less about you, you know." She snickered, kissing him. "Got my book, we're good to go."

As they walked to the bridge, her hand holding his tightly, she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"You sure you're ok? You're even quieter than usual."

"Yeah. Nervous." He admitted, looking into her eyes.

"What? Why?"

"Ror, what did I promise you're getting for Christmas?"

"Oh, my God, really? You mean I'm actually getting your book soon?"

"Yeah." He nodded, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to him. "You're getting my book soon."

"And you're nervous about me reading it?"

"Yes."

"Jess, you know it's going to be ok. I'll love it."

"See, this is what I don't want. You have to be mean to it."

"You want me to edit it?"

"Kind of. I know it's a big favor to ask, but…I don't know, I'd like to know your thoughts on it."

"Of course I'll do it." She smiled, kissing his cheek. "This is why you've been nervous?"

"Uh, yeah." He hesitated slightly but she didn't seem to notice. Reaching the bridge, they both sat down, their legs on the bridge, away from the cold water.

"When do I get it?"

"When do you get what?" He looked at her, smirking.

"Your book, jerk!" She laughed, kissing him. "I know it's supposed to be a Christmas present, but…I don't know, can I get it sooner than Christmas?"

"It's two days away."

"I know. But, Jess!" She snickered, looking at him.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to make you wait for it. I don't want everyone to be there."

"I won't show it to anyone unless you tell me it's ok."

"It's fine, just…it's a bit more than a book."

"What?" Rory looked at him and Jess took a deep breath. Opening his pocket, he pulled out a book, handing it to her. "It's not wrapped but…here it is."

"Jess, this isn't a manuscript." Rory looked down at the book in her hands.

"No." He shook his head. "I asked a friend at a printing press for a favor. I wanted you to read it in book form, not a pile of papers."

"Pile of papers would have been fine. I feel bad making notes in the only copy of your book."

"Only copy so far, hopefully." He smiled. "Don't worry about making notes in it. I wanted it to look more like a book when I gave it to you. Stack of papers doesn't really scream Christmas present to me."

Jumping from her place and wrapping her arms around his neck, Rory grinned, kissing him full force on the mouth.

"Thank you."

"Merry Christmas." He smirked, kissing her again. "I love you, Ror."

"Love you too." She smiled back at him. "You're going to stop being weird now?"

"Maybe." Jess chuckled, his hand playing in her hair.

"Good enough, I suppose." She kissed him one more time, picking up the book and looking at its cover. "It doesn't have a title."

"Not yet, no. Couldn't think of a good one."

"What about _This Will Rock the Literary World_?"

"You have a lot of faith in me." He smirked, pulling her in for another kiss. "You should read it before you make such statements."

"I know how amazing your brain is. You are…" She paused for a second, tilting her head to the side. "You're incredible. You're doing such great things with your life and I'm just so happy and thankful that I get to be here and try to do whatever I can to support you through this."

"You do far more than try and you know that." Jess pulled her into his arms, hugging her tighter to him. "This book wouldn't be done without you. Pretty much anything I've done wouldn't have happened without you."

"Sap." She teased, lifting her head and kissing him.

"Just stating the facts here." He chuckled softly, kissing her again. "I love you."

"Yeah, I know." She laughed, placing quick kisses on his lips. "You're still being odd. Nervous about me reading this?" She lifted the book in the air and he nodded.

"Yeah." He covered quickly, trying to calm himself down.

"You're insane."

Taking a pencil out of his pocket, he handed it to her, smirking. "Here. Go to town."

"Oh, I will. I will be meaner than you ever thought I could be."

"Good. Trust me, it needs that." Pointing to the book, he kissed her softly, his hand going back to playing in her hair. Pulling back, Rory tried to open the book but he stopped her. "Not like that."

"What?" She looked up at him, surprised and he shook his head, taking a deep breath.

"I mean, you can read all of it tonight or tomorrow or whenever, preferably sometime I'm not around but right now I need you to promise me something."

"Anything, Jess."

"That you'll do whatever I ask you to do for the next few minutes without question it and, if you don't agree to what I want to say, we'll still…I don't know, be ok or something."

Putting the book down, Rory looked into his eyes, biting her lip. "You're scaring me. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Jess, this isn't nothing." Her voice turned colder, looking at him. "Someone else?"

"No. It's nothing bad." He cupped her face in his hand, smiling softly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He nodded, leaning in and kissing her again. "Promise first."

"I promise." She smiled, resting her forehead against his. "We'll always be ok."

"Good. Turn to page 56."

"What?"

"The book." He picked it up, handing it to her. "Open it to page 56."

"Why?"

"Ror…" He smirked, making her laugh.

"Sorry. Ok, page 56." She flipped through the pages quickly, finding the one she was looking for."Now what?"

"See, I had some things I wanted to tell you, but…well, I'm me and just saying them was impossible and I was going to write you a note at first, but then I was editing this and I realized that you kind of seeped into my brain when I was writing it so I just…there are some paragraphs in there that are about you, instead of fiction. I don't know, I don't think other people would be able to tell they're not strictly fiction, as it were, but of course, I may just be fooling myself, but yeah…Stuff in there is about you." He rambled quickly looking at her and she smiled.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah." Jess nodded, looking down. Leaning over to him, she kissed him softly, lifting his head with one hand.

"I love you."

"If you ever tell anyone this, it won't be pretty." He threatened jokingly, making her laugh.

"Not a soul."

"There's a pencil mark next to one of the paragraphs. That one."

"Can't I just read the entire book and see if I can pick them out?"

"Rory, you promised you wouldn't question it."

"Fine." She sighed, kissing him one more time before looking down at the book.

"_The first time you are naked in front of me, I am lost. I don't know where to start, what part of your body to touch first. I am an idiot and you kiss me. The first time you scream my name, I am so fucking gone and I will have to love you forever and don't even know it yet._

_You're not the first and I am not the first. But the next morning, you're sitting there, drinking your coffee, the faintest smile on your lips, not noticing me for the shortest of seconds and you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. And you are the first I want to be the last." _

"Jess, this is…"

"No talking either. Not until I'm done anyway."

Nodding, she bit her lip, a couple of tears shining in her eyes softly.

"Page 79."

"_I love you possessively and I must teach myself every day to let go of you, because you have other lives going on and other people that love you and I must share you with them. _

_But I know you like they don't know you and, dare I say it, I love you more than they love you. _

_I know how your body seems to dance when we have sex. I know its lines, its valleys, its peaks. I adore you for having the same dislike I do for calling it 'making love' and for still blushing when I'm too forward, despite that. _

_I know how you look when you sleep. How slowly your chest rises as you breathe. How almost childishly your teeth bite your lip. How your eyes flutter when you wake up. How you drag me out of bed and into the shower with you. _

_I know your smiles, your secrets, your nightmares, your hand playing in my hair, your legs wrapped around me. All of you is burned in me."_

Nodding to let him know she was done, Rory looked at him for a second before shooting from her place and kissing him.

"Don't cry." He asked her softly, wiping her cheek.

"I'm just…I'll tell you when I'm done." She smiled back at him, kissing him again.

"Then turn to page 127."

"I love you." She whispered quickly before turning to the new page, not giving him a chance to reply as she started reading again.

"_You say I have no reason to be jealous. If only you knew…I am jealous of the air you breathe, the water you drink, the clothes that cover your body. I am jealous of the people that see you when I can't, of the cup your lips touch, of the pillow your head rests on at night. I am jealous because I can't be all that and because you still need other things when the only thing I need is you."_

"Jess…" She whispered his name again softly and he shook his head.

"One more. Page 153."

"Ok."

"_The night after you left, my bed smelt like you, cheap substitute for that which was no longer in my reach. I had never known longing before I met you and now I understand it all too well. And I want you, God, how I want you. If your laws would let me, because yours are the only laws I still recognize, I would lock you in my room and never let you leave me again. You must understand, a day without touching you is too much. A minute is too much. Any second that is not spent with you is useless._

_This is madness and I know it and you know it and I don't care."_

"Can I talk now?" She looked at him, chewing on her lip and he shook his head.

"Turn to the last page first."

"Thought you said that was the last one." Rory smiled, wiping her cheek quickly.

"Changed my mind." He smirked, waiting for her to turn to the last page where only one sentence was printed, in the middle of the page.

"_For you are the only heaven I've known."_

As a new wave of tears started rolling down her cheeks slowly, she leaned closer, kissing him.

"You are absolutely incredible, do you know that?"

Shaking his head, Jess pulled back, kissing her forehead and hugging her to him as his hand started digging through his pocket, careful for her not to notice.

"I am incredibly sappy, that's about it. But…I didn't just give you that and show you all those just to further prove my cheesiness. I kind of have something more to say."

"What is it?" She looked at him, placing a quick kiss on his lips.

"Ror, I love you. And if I haven't told you enough times, then that book should have really made that point clear. But I am so not good with waiting, especially when I don't see a reason to wait. Maybe I missed the part of growing up that was supposed to teach me to not ask you stupid things, but I never wanted to be good at being a grownup anyway. So…marry me."

"What?" She whispered, looking at him and he slid the box towards her.

"I don't know if it's too soon or something, but, let's face it, out of the two of us, you're the one that's most likely to have a five year plan here. I want to marry you. Today, tomorrow, next month, next year, ten years from now, I don't care, I just want to marry you and to get to officially promise you that I'll try my fucking hardest to make you so impossibly happy you'll never regret it."

"Jess, you don't have to officially promise me anything."

"It's not just that, it's so much more. Both of us consciously agreeing to make it harder to leave each other. Whatever." He chuckled softly, making her laugh as well. "Just…say you'll marry me. I don't want to waste this, I love you too much for that. If you don't want to get married now, it's ok, nothing will change. We'll talk about it someday, when you're ready. Everything stays the same, I promise."

"I…Jess…" She hesitated slightly, looking at him. "Nothing would stay the same."

"Yes, it will. It doesn't matter, I promise. I was just reading the book and I figured I'd ask you, but…it would be ok."

"Really? Would everything actually stay the same if it was no?"

Shrugging, Jess looked at her, his smile fading. "Is it no?"

Looking at him, Rory shook her head slowly, biting her lip. Taking a deep breath, Jess nodded, trying to smile.

"Ok." Standing up, he shoved his hands in his pockets, pointing with his head in the direction of the town. "I need to be alone for a while, but I'll see you at the diner later, ok?"

"What?" Looking after him, Rory tilted her head to the side, confused. "No!"

"Yeah, I got that." Jess turned around, trying to smirk.

"'No' as in what the hell are you doing?"

"What?"

"Where are you going?"

"Alone time." He lifted one eyebrow, pointing towards the town. "I know I said everything is ok, and it is, but I need to be by myself for a bit now."

"Why?" Rory stood up, biting her lip.

"Because…I don't know." He chuckled softly, looking at her. "I'm confused."

"Well, you're the one who asks me to marry him and then when I say yes you just…leave? Seriously?"

"You said no." He looked at her, shaking his head.

"No, I didn't." Rory laughed, taking a step in his direction.

"You shook your head. That's no. Unless I've stepped into some bizarre world where everything is reversed."

"You asked if it's no, I shook my head!" Rory sighed, frustrated. "I was going to say yes when you decided to stand up and leave because you think I've gone crazy and changed my mind completely."

"…It's yes?" Jess asked after a few seconds of silence, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Of course it's yes, you idiot." She laughed stepping even closer to him and taking his hand in hers. "It's been yes for ages. God, it's always been yes. It's not too soon and, just for the record, I don't have a five year plan but I really do not want to wait ten years to marry you."

"It's yes." He repeated, catching his breath and she smiled, nodding enthusiastically.

"You really think any woman would say no to that proposal?" Nodding again, she placed a soft, lingering kiss on his lips, then rested her forehead against his. "I love you, Jess. So much."

"I love you too." He smiled, cupping her face in his hand and running his thumb over her cheekbone.

"Are you ever going to put that ring on my finger?" She laughed, kissing him quickly.

"I don't know, you called me an idiot and all that…Maybe I've changed my mind."

"Jess!" She giggled and he shook his head, letting go of her. Walking to where she had dropped the ring, he leaned over and picked it up while she watched, biting her lip, trying not to cry again. Stepping close to Rory again, he opened the box, taking her other hand in his, smiling as he looked at her.

"Rory Gilmore, will you marry me?"

Looking at him, she nodded again. "Yes."

"Are you sure?" He chuckled, taking the ring out of the box at the same time and sliding it on her finger while she laughed, still nodding.

"Yes." She crushed her mouth to his, lifting her hands to cup his face. Glancing at the ring quickly, she grinned. "This is beautiful."

"You're beautiful." He whispered at her, kissing her again. "You know you can't change your mind now, right?"

"I have no intention of ever changing my mind." She took a deep breath as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. "You're stuck with me. Forever."

"Sounds good." He smiled, kissing her.

"My Christmas present to you will totally suck after this, I hope you realize that."

"Are you happy?"

"God, yes." Rory nodded, crushing her mouth to his.

"Then I've got everything I ever wanted." Jess whispered softly, holding her close to him.

**THE END**


End file.
